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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £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," stating that both trips were clearly work-related, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in the summer, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

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

The Scottish government calculates that the provisional cost for policing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the largest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs incurred in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that visit followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in global diplomacy with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."