Private individual pays for repatriation of Alex Salmond’s body to Scotland

A private individual will pay for the repatriation of Alex Salmond’s body, the PA news agency understands.

Mr Salmond died after suffering a heart attack in North Macedonia on Saturday, where he was attending a conference.

Tory MP and friend of Mr Salmond, Sir David Davis, had pushed for the RAF to be used to bring his body back from the city of Ohrid.

But the PA news agency understands a private flight will be chartered and paid for by an unknown individual to return him to Scotland. The flight is expected to land in Aberdeen.

No timeline for Mr Salmond’s repatriation has been publicly announced.

In a statement on Wednesday, the acting leader of the Alba Party – which Mr Salmond led since 2021 until his death – Kenny MacAskill said: “The family are incredibly grateful for the support which is being provided by a private citizen to charter a private plane to allow Alex’s body to come home to Scotland.

“It brings a great deal of comfort to Moira and other members of the family to know that he will soon be home with them.

“The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this time and will be making an announcement in due course about the funeral arrangements and a memorial service to honour the life of Alex Salmond.”

Mr MacAskill also expressed the Salmond family’s appreciation to the North Macedonian Government, for “expediting” the process of releasing Mr Salmond’s body and the Scottish and UK governments for their work in securing his repatriation.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said it is prepared to offer further help if necessary.

“Over the last few days, the Scottish Government and UK Government have been engaging with Alex Salmond’s family and working closely together in accordance with their wishes, to ensure the swift and dignified repatriation of the former First Minister to Scotland,” a statement said.

“Having explored a number of options, the family have now made arrangements for this to take place with the support of a private citizen.

“The Scottish Government continues to engage with Mr Salmond’s family, and we stand ready to offer further advice and support, should it be required.”

Reports on Wednesday also suggest there will be a public memorial service held for Mr Salmond, although no details have yet been finalised.

Tributes were paid to the former SNP leader in the House of Commons on Wednesday, with the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing him as a “monumental figure in Scottish and UK politics”, who left a “lasting legacy”.

Both Tory leader Rishi Sunak and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey also paid tribute.