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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to nearly £24.5 million for the two working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly official, noting that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

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

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this decision and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government must cover policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a formal UK government invitation, in which case it included security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster 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 Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."