Alex Salmond's close allies have begun to express anger over how they believe he was mistreated by the party he built up from a fringe movement and took to power, winning two Holyrood elections under his leadership.

Amid shock and sadness following Mr Salmond's death, former SNP MPs Joanna Cherry, Angus MacNeil, Jim Sillars and Kenny MacAskill, now depute leader of Alba, were among the figures who criticised the SNP as politicians and political commentators continued to reflect on the late First Minister's legacy.

The former First Minister and SNP leader, who latterly lead the Alba Party, died aged 69 on Saturday after he collapsed at lunch on Saturday afternoon following a speech at conference in North Macedonia. He suffered a suspected heart attack.

Ms Cherry, the former SNP MP for Edinburgh South West who announced last week she was resuming her legal career as an senior advocate, accused people in her party of "stabbing" Mr Salmond "in the back".

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Mr Salmond fell out bitterly with his successor Nicola Sturgeon after the Scottish Government launched an investigation into complaints of sexual harassment made against him.

He took Ms Sturgeon's administration to court with the investigation found by judges to be unlawful and "tainted by apparent bias". He was awarded more than £500,000 in costs.

Soon after he won his case he was charged by Police Scotland with sexual assault and was later acquitted of all charges at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Floral tributes have been laid to Alex Salmond at the Scottish Parliament (Image: Jane Barlow) Holyrood then launched an inquiry into the government's flawed investigation with Mr Salmond telling MSPs he believed there was a "malicious and concerted" attempt to remove him from public life and to get him imprisoned.

He also alleged that people involved in efforts to damage his reputation include allies of Ms Sturgeon - allegations denied by Ms Sturgeon and her allies. Ms Sturgeon said the suggestion she plotted against Mr Salmond was “absurd” and “not based in any fact.”

"I think more and more people across the political divide from Scotland are becoming interested in what exactly went on behind the scenes in relation to Alex Salmond," Ms Cherry told BBC Scotland on Sunday.

"And I think it's a great tragedy of Alex Salmond's career that so many of his erstwhile comrades and political colleagues and friends either stabbed him in the back or turned their back on him in his hour of need. I found that pretty disgusting at the time, and I'm very proud that I stood by him and I think it's very important that we talk about him in the days to come we remember that he was acquitted of all the criminal charges against him."

(Image: Academy for Cultural Diplomacy/PA Wire) Alex Salmond attending the Cultural Diplomacy Forum 2024 in Ohrid, North Macedonia.

Writing in the Herald on Sunday party grandee and former deputy leader Mr Sillars stated: "Alex’s untimely death has an important consequence.

"His case against the Scottish Government, if it had gone to court would have flushed out the evidence he had, his lawyer has, Police Scotland has, the Crown Office has, of the malicious actions taken against him that saw him face the daily humiliation of being prosecuted in the High Court, with extreme damage to his reputation despite a jury finding him not guilty on nine charges. Those who know, know that it was all unnecessary. But damage done, can never be undone."

In his tribute to Mr Salmond, Mr MacAskill also gave his opinion on how Mr Salmond had been treated by the SNP despite his role in the party's election success, in securing the independence referendum and increasing support for the party's key goal.

"His record speaks for itself in moulding the modern SNP,  forming the first independence administration and delivering both an unprecedented Holyrood majority and a referendum on independence," wrote Mr MacAskill.

"His legacy lives on and has benefitted Scotland immensely with infrastructure and other social and economic gains testifying to that. The actions of individuals and later administrations undoubtedly took their toll upon him. Courts will still rightly decide upon the actions of individuals whose behaviour towards him was deplorable and shameful."

Writing on X, Mr MacNeil, who was expelled from the SNP last year after clashing with the party's chief whip Brendan O’Hara, and lost his bid to return as an independent MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar at the general election in July, noted: "Alex turned his back on no one, but too many he helped, turned their backs on him."

Former SNP MP Neale Hanvey, who latterly sat as a MP for Alba, noted the friendship between Mr Salmond and the Conservative MP David Davis. Mr Davis was a close friend of the former First Minister for many years despite their political differences.

"True friends will stand by you in the heaviest of weather," said Mr Hanvey.

"David Davis MP is a man of substance, deep principle and one of the truest of friends to Alex."

Assessing his significance on Scottish and UK politics polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said Mr Salmond “did more than anybody else” to make independence central to the debate about Scotland’s future.

Speaking to Sky News On Sunday, Sir John said: “The truth is Mr Salmond is probably the person who did more than anybody else to move the argument about independence, and indeed his party, the Scottish Nationalist Party, from being a relatively fringe interest that never looked as though it was going to happen to be something that is now central to the debate about the future of Scotland,” he said.

He said the issue “continues to be central” even though the argument in favour was rejected by 55% of people in the 2014 independence referendum.

“So to that extent, yes, Mr Salmond didn’t succeed in delivering independence for his country, but he certainly ensured that the question as to whether or not Scotland should or should not be independent has become a central issue of Scottish politics,” he said.

John Swinney was asked about Mr Salmond’s break with the SNP, and the “bitterness” that arose between Mr Salmond and his protegee Ms Sturgeon in the last few years.

The First Minister told BBC Scotland: “Obviously, it’s been a very difficult few years, and there will be time to reflect on all of those issues in the days to come. But I think today, I think all of us can recognise the formidable contribution that Alex Salmond made.”

Mr Swinney said his relationship with Mr Salmond had become "more distant" since Mr Salmond lost his Westminster seat in 2017.

Asked if he regretted not being able to mend that relationship, the First Minister said: "I saw Alex over this summer. We met at an event in Edinburgh, and he congratulated me on my election as First Minister, and we talked at that moment about the experience of being First Minister."