�* and �*and help �* and help colourful personality and help colourful he was as a person. i personality and help colourful he was as a person.— he was as a person. i think it is fair to _ he was as a person. i think it is fair to say _ he was as a person. i think it is fair to say that _ he was as a person. i think it is fair to say that alex - is fair to say that alex salmond was a very charismatic and a great speaker and very formidable and respected on both sides and he had a significant political legacy and took the snp from the fringes of politics here in the uk and scotland right into power and it has been in power here in scotland since 2007 and here in scotland since 2007 and he led it first as a minority government and then in 2011 to get into majority in the scottish parliament, a feat that was what impossible the way the voting system is designed here in scotland is meant to make an overall majority impossible for any party to achieve but under alex salmond, the snp achieved that and then he of course negotiated an agreement with

the then prime minister david cameron to hold a referendum on scottish independence and heat negotiated on the wording of the question that was put to the question that was put to the public and negotiated successfully on the timing of that referendum and he took support for independence from around a third to 45%, where it has stayed roughly stable ever since, despite the fluctuating support for his former party, the snp. his political legacy has been slightly overshadowed in recent years by the falling out with his former protege, nicola sturgeon, who succeeded him as first minister and then subsequent to that he was cleared of sexual assault charges in a criminal court, but the fact remains that his political legacy here in scotland is immense. he never

saw independence achieved in his lifetime, but his supporters say, and this is a well known by alex salmond, that that dream will never die. i'm at right now we can see the hosts moving closer to that privately chartered plane so talk us through what is happening there on the ground. members of alex salmond's family are there to greet the coffin that will be removed from that privately chartered plane, that plane chartered by the scottish businessman sir tom hunter, alongside them are members of the alba party and family friends and his family have commented this week and said that mr salmond was a devoted and loving husband and a fiercely loyal brother and a proud and portable uncle and a faithful and trusted friend and they said they were incredibly grateful for the support they

had received. —— forcible uncle. they said he was a man who loves meeting people and dedicated his adult life to the cause he believed in, independence for scotland and said his vision and enthusiasm for the cause he believed in were both inspirational and courageous. —— thoughtful uncle. a family friend has been speaking earlier and he said the family were incredibly touched by the dignified and respectful ascent of mr salmond received in macedonia with that honour guard of north macedonian soldiers carrying his coffin on to that privately chartered plane, that coffin draped in a saltire. incredibly touched by that sendoff and incredibly touched by all the messages of support they have received over the last few days as well. . . received over the last few days as well. , , . ., as well. lets see if we can get

some sound — as well. lets see if we can get some sound from _ as well. lets see if we can get some sound from the - as well. lets see if we can get some sound from the tarmacl some sound from the tarmac there. there is a pipe out there. there is a pipe out there at the moment playing a tune and we understand that it is freedom, come all the eu, one of alex salmond's favourite songs and hopefully we can get some of that sound and bring it to our viewers but this is a sentimental moment for his family there. ——, all to ye. yes, it was an emotional moment and alex salmond was full of energy and lived a busy life and travelled internationally and travelled internationally and was always on the airwaves are fighting for causes he believed in and his death from a heart attack has taken both his family and the political establishment here in scotland andindeed establishment here in scotland and indeed across the uk by surprise. he wasjust and indeed across the uk by

surprise. he was just 59. and indeed across the uk by surprise. he wasjust 59. but as you say, there is a piper out there, and we are standing just a few metres away from that private jet here and aberdeen airports and it is a busy airport full of helicopters taking workers to and from the north sea but that plane parts just to the side of the runway a few hundred metres away from me and that's group of family members, supporters of family members, supporters of the alba party and family friends there to greet him as an exam and's body returns home to the part of scotland that he represented as an mp and an smp at westminster and holyrood fought the best part of 30 years. —— alex salmond's body. and we can see kenny macaskill, the acting leader of the alba party and other members of alex

salmond's new political party there to welcome his body coming back to scotland, so i guess it is important to say that we don't see members of the snp there, i guess suggesting the change in the politics for scotland is for him. i politics for scotland is for him. ~ . politics for scotland is for him. ~ , ., politics for scotland is for him. ~' , ., ., him. i think it is fair to say that alex _ him. i think it is fair to say that alex salmond - him. i think it is fair to say that alex salmond still- him. i think it is fair to say | that alex salmond still has many supporters in the scottish national party, and some of those supporters took to the airwaves over the weekend to talk of what they saw as their legacy and what they see as their loss. scotland's's first minister has also paid tribute to one of his predecessors as first minister, so he was no longer a member of the party. he was very angry at left to set up his own party, but there is no disputing the fact that he was the man that took the

snp from being the small party on the outer edges of politics here in scotland and drove them right to the heart of power, where they have remained for the past 17 years, so those within his party and those out within his party and those out with his party and his political opponents will all pay tribute to his formidable political ability. pay tribute to his formidable politicalability. he pay tribute to his formidable political ability. he was a formidable tactician, a formidable tactician, a formidable debater, a very strong or tour, and often several steps ahead of his political opponents —— a very strong orator. but yes, he set “p strong orator. but yes, he set up this new party, alba, and their representatives here greeting the coffin as it is loaded onto a hearse before it makes its way out of the airport here at aberdeen and

makes its way north—east through the countryside, the green countryside here in this part of scotland. it will be a private funeral at a date still to be set, and then there will be a public memorial service and i would expect politicians from right across the political spectrum from alba and the snp as well as other parties to be attending that at, which is said to take place at a later date. i said to take place at a later date. . . said to take place at a later date. , , , ., , date. i guess the question is now about — date. i guess the question is now about his _ date. i guess the question is now about his political- date. i guess the question is i now about his political legacy. looking at those members of the alba party there, do you think that will be his legacy? and perhaps where it could have an impact going forward in scotland?— impact going forward in scotland? ., _ ., , scotland? that is certainly their ambition. _ scotland? that is certainly their ambition. they - scotland? that is certainly their ambition. they have | scotland? that is certainly i their ambition. they have put up their ambition. they have put up candidates in the elections in the short time that party has been in existence. so far,

on a national stage, unsuccessfully. they of course have ash regan, who is an msp at holyrood who resigned from the snp and went across to alba, but in terms of electing people to either the scottish parliament or westminster they have not yet had success but they have only existed as a party for a few years, they have ambitions to represent constituencies either regionally or on the list at holyrood in the next election here in scotland in two years' time and as you say, kenny macaskill is now the acting leader of alba and he is a former member of parliament for westminster and he has been very emotional about his friend and fellow politician, unexamined's death, and is amongst those here at aberdeen

airports welcoming the body and receiving the body back here in scotland. —— alex salmond's death. you see that piper playing a lament, one of alex salmond's favourite songs is that coffin is loaded onto a house ahead of thatjourney through the north—east. and house ahead of that journey through the north-east. and we now have the — through the north-east. and we now have the pictures _ through the north-east. and we now have the pictures they - through the north-east. and we now have the pictures they are l now have the pictures they are from aberdeen airport and this is the coffin of alex salmond being taken of this flight which has come in from north macedonia. alex salmond passed away on saturday suddenly, following a heart attack. he had been in north macedonia to attend a conference and it is understood he suffered that heart attack during a lunch. these are the pictures there. these are the pictures there. the pictures from aberdeen

airports, alex salmond who has been celebrated as an icon of scottish politics. his body now being returned back home to scotland draped with the saltire flag, and it is now being loaded onto the hearse which is waiting there at the tyre. —— waiting there at the tarmac. just describe how significant a moment this is for scotland. it significant a moment this is for scotland.— for scotland. it is a significant - for scotland. it is a l significant moment, for scotland. it is a - significant moment, the for scotland. it is a _ significant moment, the passing of an era, the passing of a man who took scotland to the brink of independence, and nobody in