Former First Minister Alex Salmond, a lifelong champion of the independence cause, has died aged 69.

The Alba leader and former SNP leader was giving a speech in North Macedonia on Saturday and passed away shortly after the event at the age of 69.

Current First Minister John Swinney said: "I am deeply shocked and saddened at the untimely death of the former first minister Alex Salmond, and I extend my deepest condolences to Alex’s wife Moira and to his family.

“Over many years, Alex made an enormous contribution to political life – not just within Scotland, but across the UK and beyond.

“Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country that he loved and for her independence. He took the Scottish National Party from the fringes of Scottish politics into government and led Scotland so close to becoming an independent country.

“There will be much more opportunity to reflect in the coming days, but today all of our thoughts are with Alex’s family and his many friends right across the political spectrum.”

(Image: PA Wire)

Mr Salmond joined the SNP in 1973, allegedly after an argument with his then-girlfriend who told him "if you feel like that, go and join the bloody SNP".

He was the leader of the so-called 79 Group, a left-wing Republican movement which was highly critical of incumbent party leadership and looked to shift the party's position.

Mr Salmond, along with other leaders of the group, was expelled in 1982 but subsequently re-admitted and at the 1987 general election he was elected as the MP for Banff and Buchan.

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He became leader of the party in 1990, defeating Margaret Ewing, but stood down in 2000 after a number of disagreements with party leaders.

Following an electoral slump under Mr Swinney though, Mr Salmond would return in 2004, leading the SNP to victory at the 2007 Holyrood election.

Four years later the party achieved an outright majority at Holyrood, a feat deemed unlikely if not impossible, leading to the calling of a referendum on Scottish independence.

Support for independence was as low as 32% at the time the vote was called, but the Yes Scotland campaign closed the gap significantly as polling day approached, with one poll in the days leading up to the vote giving independence the lead.

Following a 45-55 defeat, Mr Salmond stood down, saying in his concession speech that "the dream shall never die".

Though he stepped away from the leadership of his party he did not disentangle himself from frontline politics, winning the Gordon seat in 2015 as part of an SNP landslide.

However, a very public fallout with his successor Nicola Sturgeon over allegations of sexual misconduct would see him leave the party and provoke a bitter split that would never heal.

(Image: Stewart Attwood)

In 2019 Mr Salmond was charged by Police Scotland with 14 offences, including two counts of attempted rape, nine of sexual assault, two of indecent assault, and one of breach of the peace.

In March of 2020 he was found not guilty on 12 of the charges by a jury, with one not proven and one withdrawn by the prosecution.

Mr Salmond would later claim that senior figures in the Scottish Government and SNP had conspired to ruin him and send him to prison, and he remained estranged from Ms Sturgeon, once his protege, until his death.

Following his passing she said: "I am shocked and sorry to learn of Alex Salmond’s death.

“Obviously, I cannot pretend that the events of the past few years which led to the breakdown of our relationship did not happen, and it would not be right for me to try.

“However, it remains the fact that for many years Alex was an incredibly significant figure in my life. He was my mentor, and for more than a decade we formed one of the most successful partnerships in UK politics.

“Alex modernised the SNP and led us into government for the first time, becoming Scotland’s fourth First Minister and paving the way for the 2014 referendum which took Scotland to the brink of independence.

“He will be remembered for all of that. My thoughts are with Moira, his wider family and his friends.”

In March 2021 he formed a new pro-independence party, Alba, of which he was leader.

Mr Salmond lived in a in a converted mill in Strichen, Aberdeenshire with his wife, Moira McGlashan.