Scotland’s former first minister Alex Salmond has returned to Scotland with his coffin after passing away in North Macedonia. The body of Salmond arrived on a plane which landed at Aberdeen Airport from the Balkan state. The plane, which was paid for by Scottish businessman and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, was received by members of Salmond’s family and Kenny MacAskill, the new leader of the Alba Party, as well as a lone piper. Salmond’s coffin, which was draped in the Saltire by Alba party colleague Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh before being placed on the aircraft, was given a guard of honour and carried by members of the Macedonian military.
A cortège commenced to Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire after the coffin was placed into a hearse. A small group of Yes bikers led the cortège to a funeral home in Fraserburgh. A private family service will be held on a date that has not yet been confirmed. A public memorial will follow at a later date. Salmond had been attending an Academy for Cultural Diplomacy conference on Saturday when he had a heart attack during lunch with other delegates. Paramedics were called and efforts were made to revive him using CPR, but failed, and he died at age 69.
Salmond’s wife Moira, his sisters Margaret and Gail, his brother Bob, as well as his nieces and nephews released a statement after his death which lauded him as “a devoted and loving husband, a fiercely loyal brother, a proud and thoughtful uncle and a faithful and trusted friend”. First Minister John Swinney has filed a motion of condolence at Holyrood while books of condolence have been opened in the Scottish Parliament for MSPs and members of the public to leave messages. Sir Tom Hunter funded the flight because he believed Salmond “deserved the dignity and privacy” of a private return home.
The independence issue that Salmond pushed might be revisited in the future. Still, with his passing, it is now up to others to carry that torch. Salmond’s return home by a plane was a reunion primarily for his family, to which the television cameras were granted permission. The former Scottish first minister, who did not survive to see his dream of Scottish independence, had reached the pinnacle of his political career during the independence referendum about ten years ago.
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