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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5m expense incurred during recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional costs totalling nearly £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously official, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of over four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the biggest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses incurred in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this decision and provide complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that visit followed a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."