The late former First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, was commemorated at his memorial service held in Edinburgh’s St. Giles’ Cathedral. High-profile figures, including First Minister John Swinney and former prime minister Gordon Brown, attended the event. Salmond, aged 69, passed away as a result of a heart attack while at a conference in North Macedonia. The St. Andrew’s Day service saw various tributes paid to him from both political allies and opponents in addition to musical performances by Dougie MacLean and The Proclaimers.
Salmond had already been laid to rest after a private funeral service held in the village of Strichen in Aberdeenshire, where he had lived with his wife, Moira, for a considerable period. The ceremony was an invitational event that attracted around 500 guests.
Attendees at the memorial service included Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and Holyrood Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone. In contrast, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who had a public fallout with Salmond after she took over his mantle as SNP leader, did not attend. Nevertheless, she asserted that she and the people of Scotland remembered him fondly, although her thoughts were with Salmond’s family and friends.
Salmond’s life and achievements were celebrated at the service, which was led by the Rev Dr George Whyte, a former Principal Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In his eulogy, Whyte described Salmond as a man who “challenged the status quo,” adding that he “called people to a cause in which he believed and for which he would endure the slings and the arrows.” Salmond’s niece Christine Hendry, as well as his close friends and political allies Duncan Hamilton KC and Kenny MacAskill, also shared their memories of the former SNP leader.
Dougie MacLean sang Caledonia at the service, while The Proclaimers performed Cap in Hand, expressing their “eternal gratitude” to Salmond before the performance. Sir David Davis, the Conservative MP and friend of Salmond’s, read a passage from John 14: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Kenny MacAskill referred to Salmond as a “political genius,” while Hamilton recalled him as a “leader of courage, vision, and intelligence.
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