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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Preliminary expenses totalling nearly £24.5 million for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were obviously official, pointing out that the US president held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long trip in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the largest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this decision and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

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

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."