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

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, noting that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in July, while American VP Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of more than four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the largest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs incurred in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following visit of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

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

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."