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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

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

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly official, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

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

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

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £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 specialist support.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs incurred in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered 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 … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."