ALEX Salmond was a former first minister of Scotland who led the SNP twice, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014.
He first joined the party in 1973 and led the SNP into power when they won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007.
Alex Salmond, who grew up in Linlithgow, died of a heart attack last year at age 69.
Read on for all Alex Salmond news and interviews on the former first minister.
Alex Salmond news
As reported by The National, here is a selection of the latest Alex Salmond news stories.
Alba will build on the strategy left by Alex Salmond
Kenny MacAskill beats Ash Regan to be elected Alba leader
Shock as Alex Salmond died without leaving a will
Alex Salmond as first minister
Salmond served as the first minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014.
He helped lead the Yes movement in the 2014 independence referendum and resigned as first minister shortly after the result.
His then-deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, succeeded him unopposed.
Salmond later formed the pro-independence Alba Party in 2021 and was the party's leader.
He has been credited for turning the SNP from the fringes into the mainstream as he led them into power when they won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007.
The party subsequently won an unprecedented majority in the election four years later, which paved the way for the referendum on Scottish independence.
Alex Salmond death
A post-mortem examination confirmed that the former first minister died of a heart attack.
Salmond collapsed during a lunch in a crowded room with fellow participants at an event in North Macedonia in October 2024.
The day before, he had given a speech at the Cultural Diplomacy Forum in Ohrid and participated in meetings the morning before his death.
In a statement, Salmond’s family said he was “a devoted and loving husband, a fiercely loyal brother, a proud and thoughtful uncle and a faithful and trusted friend”.
The family's statement said: “Alex was a formidable politician, an amazing orator, an outstanding intellect and admired throughout the world.
“He loved meeting people and hearing their stories and showed incredible kindness to those who needed it.
“He dedicated his adult life to the cause he believed in – independence for Scotland.”
Alex Salmond wife
Salmond was married to Moira McGlashan for four decades. The couple did not have any children.
Recent reports suggest that he did not leave behind a will.
A source close to the family told The Times there is concern about the impact on the late SNP leader’s widow, adding: “There was shock among the family when it became clear that Alex hadn’t left a will."
Alex Salmond sister
Alex Salmond's sister is Gail Hendry, convener of Alba Borders.
Gail and her daughter Christina backed Kenny MacAskill to be the leader of the Alba Party.
MacAskill served in Salmond’s cabinet and defected with him to his new party in 2021.
Alex Salmond accusations
Alex Salmond was accused of bullying colleagues when he led the Scottish Government in a BBC documentary that aired before his death.
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was Salmond's deputy from 2007 to 2014, claimed she “intervened” to stop Alex Salmond from bullying colleagues “many times” and that he could be “really rough on people”.
Sturgeon (below) told the Financial Times: “He would be really rough on people. Many times I intervened to stop him.”
Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon fall out
The BBC documentary, Salmond And Sturgeon: A Troubled Union, which aired before his death, explored the broken relationship between Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond.
It featured interviews from both former first ministers, who spoke about the public breakdown of their long-term political partnership.
Hitting out at the documentary on X (formerly known as Twitter), Salmond described it as “venomous bias” against Scottish independence.
He said the documentary had “plumbed new depths” and advised to “turn it off after the first episode”.
Salmond and Sturgeon's friendship began fracturing after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Salmond while in office to both police and the Scottish Government.
Sturgeon's government investigated the allegations, which led to a bitter split between them, with Salmond saying he “seriously doubts” he will ever be on speaking terms with Sturgeon, according to the documentary.
Salmond took legal action against the Government for its handling of the investigation into him and accused the Government of a plot against him.
He was cleared of the allegations.
Sturgeon had said that she mourned her relationship with Salmond after their friendship ended.
