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Mourners gather for Alex Salmond memorial service

Getty Images Alex Salmond smiling in medium close up. He is wearing a blue tweed jacket, open-necked button down white and blue checked shirt and an Alba party badgeGetty Images

Alex Salmond was buried in a private funeral service near his home in Aberdeenshire

A memorial service is being held for the former First Minister Alex Salmond, who died suddenly last month.

Family, friends and supporters are gathering at Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral, with the service being streamed live from 11:00.

Salmond, 69, died of a heart attack while attending a conference in North Macedonia on 12 October.

The St Andrew’s Day service will include tributes from political allies and opponents as well as musical performances by Dougie MacLean and The Proclaimers.

Salmond was buried after a private funeral service on 29 October in the village of Strichen in Aberdeenshire, where he had lived for many years with his wife, Moira.

His family said the memorial service would allow people to say goodbye and reflect on his life.

Mourners gather for Alex Salmond memorial serviceSt Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, taken from across the Royal Mile, facing east. The west front of the cathedral can be seen under a grey sky. Five people are walking by in a scattered fashion.

The service will take place at Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral

The memorial event is invitation only, with about 500 people attending.

First Minister John Swinney is going to the memorial, alongside representatives from the main political parties in Scotland and the UK government.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who had a public fallout with Salmond in the years after she succeeded her ex-mentor as SNP leader, was not expected to attend.

She was at the funeral of comedian Janey Godley in Glasgow on Saturday morning.

Mourners gather for Alex Salmond memorial servicePA Media Nicola Sturgeon, wearing a red jacket and black top, walks with other people in front of a stone church PA Media

Nicola Sturgeon is not going to her former political protege’s memorial

The service is being led by the Rev Dr George Whyte, the former Principal Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

There will be a Bible reading by Sir David Davis, the Conservative MP who was a close friend of Salmond’s.

Dougie MacLean will sing his song Caledonia. Salmond’s niece Christine Hendry and his close friends and political allies Duncan Hamilton KC and Kenny MacAskill will share their memories.

Salmond was Scotland’s first minister from 2007 to 2014. He stepped down after the Yes campaign lost the Scottish independence referendum.

Mourners gather for Alex Salmond memorial servicePA Media Salmond's funeral service with the procession coming towards the camera.
There is a male piper in full Highland dress followed by two men in dark suits, white shirts and black ties. The saltire-covered coffin can be seen in the hearse with a mourners' car behind and more people walking in the far distance.PA Media

The former first minister was buried after a private funeral service in Strichen in October

He resigned from the SNP amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Those later formed the basis of a criminal trial at the end of which he was acquitted of all charges.

Salmond went on to set up the alternative independence-supporting party, Alba. He also hosted a talk show on the Russian-owned television channel RT.

His niece spoke out on Friday about her family’s pride in her uncle and said they are still trying to process his sudden death.

Christina Hendry said his family were “doing OK” and “doing what uncle Alex would tell us to do and just keeping going”.

She said there had been a lot to plan between bringing his body home and arranging both the funeral and the memorial service.

“I’m not sure there’s really been time to fully process things and fully grieve but as a family we’re sticking together, keeping close and keeping going,” she said.

“I think for anybody and for any family losing a loved one is really, really hard. It’s been especially difficult because of where he died but also how high-profile he was and I think that’s come with challenges.

“There’s no escape. It’s also in the media a lot and I’m not sure that’s allowed time to actually process things ourselves as a family,” she added.

You can watch the Memorial Service live from St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on the BBC News website and BBC iPlayer from 10:30 on Saturday 30 November.

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