Private individual to pay for repatriation of Alex Salmond
The family of the former First Minister confirmed the decision on Wednesday
Last updated 18th Oct 2024
Alex Salmond will be repatriated from North Macedonia by a private flight, which is to be chartered and paid for by a private individual.
The former First Minister died after suffering a heart attack in the city of Ohrid 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.
No timeline for his repatriation has been publicly announced but the flight is expected to land in Aberdeen.
"It brings a great deal of comfort"
In a statement on Wednesday, the acting leader of the Alba Party - which Mr Salmond led from 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.
"The family are incredibly grateful"
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The loss of a loved one is a difficult time for any family, made more complex when they have passed away overseas.
“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.
“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.”
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.