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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly work-related, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day period in July, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone 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 Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the biggest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of Vice-President Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this decision and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The UK government maintained that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that trip followed a formal UK government invitation, 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 unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."