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| Mourners gather for Alex Salmond memorial service | Mourners gather for Alex Salmond memorial service |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Alex Salmond was buried in a private funeral service near his home in Aberdeenshire | 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. | 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. | Salmond, 69, died of a heart attack while attending a conference in North Macedonia on 12 October. |
| The service will include tributes from political allies and opponents as well as musical performances by Dougie MacLean and The Proclaimers. | The 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. | 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. | His family said the memorial service would allow people to say goodbye and reflect on his life. |
| The service will take place at Edinburgh's St Giles' Cathedral | The service will take place at Edinburgh's St Giles' Cathedral |
| The memorial event is invitation only, with about 500 people attending. | 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. | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | Salmond was Scotland's first minister from 2007 to 2014. He stepped down after the Yes campaign lost the Scottish independence referendum. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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". | 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. | 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'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. | "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. | "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. | 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. |