Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has died at the age of 69.
The former parliamentarian and MSP, who led the country from 2007 to 2014, fell ill while in North Macedonia.
He is believed to have collapsed after giving a speech at an international conference on Saturday.
Mr Salmond led the pro-independence movement ahead of the 2014 referendum and resigned as prime minister after Scottish voters voted 55% to 45% to remain in the UK.
He led the SNP to power when it won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007, and previously led the party from 1990 to 2000.
Mr Salmond, Scotland’s first pro-independence first minister, led the SNP to an unprecedented majority in an election four years later, paving the way for a referendum.
He was involved in a brutal clash with his successor, SNP leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon, over the government’s mishandling of harassment complaints against him.
Mr Salmond was also acquitted of serious sex offense charges at a trial in Edinburgh in 2020.
After leaving the SNP in 2018, he founded and headed an alternative pro-independence party called Alba.
Ms Alba approached the UK Foreign Office for assistance in returning Mr Salmond’s body to the UK.
Prime Minister John Swinney said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the news of his death and expressed his condolences to Mr Salmond’s wife Moira and their family.
Mr Swinney added: “Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country he loved and for its independence.
“He brought the Scottish National Party, which had been on the fringes of Scottish politics, into government and moved Scotland closer to becoming an independent country.”
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf said he and Mr Salmond had “obvious disagreements over the past few years” but praised his “huge contribution to Scottish and British politics”.
Mr Yousaf also said Mr Salmond had helped “turn the SNP into the dominant political force it is today”.
Sir Keir Starmer described Salmond as a “monumental figure in Scottish and British politics”.
The First Minister said: “For more than 30 years, Alex Salmond has been a monumental figure in Scottish and British politics. He has left a lasting legacy.”
“As Scotland’s first minister, he cared deeply about Scotland’s heritage, history and culture, as well as the communities he represented as an MP and MSP throughout his years of service.
“My thoughts are with those who knew him, his family and loved ones. Today, on behalf of the British Government, I extend my condolences.”
Mr Starmer’s predecessor as prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “Alex Salmond was a great figure in our politics.
“Although I disagreed with him on constitutional issues, I could not deny his talent for debate and his passion for politics. I wish him all the best.”
