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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two official trips have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both trips were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for policing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This complex security mission was the biggest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A representative commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip came after a official UK government invitation, in which case it included security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."