Scotland’s first minister has described Alex Salmond as a “hugely important” figure in Scottish and UK politics – joining the King and Succession star Brian Cox in paying tribute following his sudden death.

John Swinney praised the former Scottish leader’s work as an MSP, telling Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “He made a colossal contribution to Scottish politics.”

Mr Salmond died on Saturday afternoon aged 69 from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia.

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Mr Swinney credited Mr Salmond for taking the Scottish National Party from the “fringes of Scottish politics to becoming the government of Scotland” and taking the country “incredibly close” to independence with the 2014 referendum.

Quizzed on why he thought Mr Salmond was so successful, the SNP leader said: “[He had an] absolute determination to succeed in his politics.

“There was a bringing together of people to make sure that we were successful in our politics. So there was real drive and energy right at the heart of it.

“The second thing was his sense of strategic perspective, which was important in identifying how you went from one situation to another and how you built up through those strategic decisions.”

Mr Swinney said Mr Salmond was a “hugely important and significant and influential figure in Scottish and United Kingdom politics”.

In a message issued by Buckingham Palace, the King said he and the Queen were “greatly saddened” to hear of Mr Salmond’s “sudden death”.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Trevor Phillips that Mr Salmond was “an incredibly big figure in Scottish and UK politics and a formidable campaigner to be on the other side from as a unionist”.

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Shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride described Mr Salmond as “a man who was good to have a chat with and to be around”.

He said the former Scottish leader was “a very consequential politician”adding: “Whilst I fundamentally disagree what he stood for, nonetheless though, they were very significant challenges.”

Former British prime minister Sir Tony Blair added: “Whatever our disagreements, he was a huge figure in Scottish and UK politics and was clearly dedicated to Scotland and its people.”

Scottish actor Brian Cox – the star of drama series Succession – described Mr Salmond as “one of the greatest political thinkers” the British Isles ever produced.

He said Mr Salmond “pleaded the cause” of Scottish independence with “great humanity and great understanding”.

In Ohrid, North Macedonia, a memorial service was held for Mr Salmond attended by President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova.

The former first minister was in the country to attend and speak at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum. He is understood to have collapsed at lunch in a crowded room after his speech.

Mark Donfried, director of the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, was at the conference and said Mr Salmond seemed in the “best of spirits” during the meal.

“All of a sudden he just went out and fell into the arms of a colleague of mine on the other side of the table,” he said.

“I immediately got up and ran to call an ambulance and when I came back, he was on the floor.

“We’re all completely shocked – the entire hotel, the conference, it’s been very difficult for all of us. Last night, we had a brief moment of reflection on his legacy.”

Mr Salmond served as first minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and was leader of the SNP on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014.

He resigned as first minister after the 2014 Scottish independence referendum resulted in a 55% to 45% vote to stay in the UK.

He launched his rival Scottish independence party, Alba, in 2021 after his relationship with his successor Nicola Sturgeon fractured.