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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the two official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly official, noting that the American leader held meetings 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 Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day trip in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

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

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the biggest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses incurred in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that trip came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"The UK government must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."