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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary expenses totalling nearly £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which involved peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this decision and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that visit came after a official UK government invitation, in which case it included protection expenses 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 prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."