Friday 25th October saw the repatriation of ex-Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, who died suddenly of a heart attack whilst attending a conference in North Macedonia earlier this month. With his funeral expected to be held on Tuesday (29th October), let’s take a look back at the life and career of one of St Andrew’s most famous alumni.
Salmond was born in 1954 in West Lothian – the son of two civil servants. He was noted as having a passion for controversial politics from a young age, notably questioning his local MP thoroughly during a visit to his primary school. From Linlithgow, Salmond made his way to St Andrews’ hallowed halls where he studied Economics and Medieval History from 1974-78, graduating with a 2:2.
During his time at St Andrews, he was remembered for his keen involvement in both the student and community councils. Indeed, during his university career, Salmond held political office for the first time, being elected vice-president of the student council in 1977. It was also at St Andrews that Salmond joined the Federation of Student Nationalists and the SNP, reportedly after a heated argument with his English then-girlfriend.
A committed left-winged Salmond worked formidably within the SNP, rising through the ranks to eventually lead the party twice between 1990-2000 and 2004-2014. During his time as party leader, he also served as Scottish First Minister between 2007- 2014, most probably best remembered for the controversial Scottish Independence referendum of 2014.
After having lost the referendum, Salmond stepped down as First Minister to take a backseat role in the SNP under Nicola Sturgeon. However, in 2017, he was thrust firmly back into the public eye with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Although found innocent on all counts, Salmond arguably never politically recovered from the allegations. He went on to lead the pro-independence Alba Party, which gained only one seat at the 2024 general election.
Whatever your views of Alex Salmond may be, he was undeniably a political titan. He dedicated himself to the service of his Scottish homeland and was passionate about gaining independence from the union. Salmond is remembered as a vibrant character and worthy political adversary by those who knew and worked with him, characteristics that were undoubtedly fostered during his formative years at St Andrews.
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