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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional expenses totalling nearly £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip by itself was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs incurred in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Response and Past Precedent

The UK government maintained that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the British administration covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that visit followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"The UK government needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."