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

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional expenses amounting to nearly £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 offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the largest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this stance and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the UK government covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."