Body of Scottish independence champion Alex Salmond flown home from North Macedonia

LONDON -- The body of former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond was on its way back to Scotland on a private jet Friday, six days after the politician died suddenly in North Macedonia.

A trumpet sounded as Salmond’s coffin, draped in Scotland’s blue-and-white Saltire flag, was loaded onto the plane at Ohrid airport in the country’s southwest by six members of North Macedonia's military. The 69-year-old politician died of a heart attack on Saturday while attending a conference in the lake resort city.

The flight, chartered by Scottish businessman Tom Hunter, will return Salmond to Aberdeen in northeast Scotland. Plans are being put in place for a private family funeral along with a public memorial service.

Salmond led the Scottish National Party for a decade and a half, taking Scotland up to the brink of independence from the United Kingdom in a 2014 referendum.

He transformed the SNP from a fringe party to a dominant force in Scottish politics and served as first minister from 2007 to 2014. In the referendum, Scots rejected independence, with 55% voting against and 45% in favor.

Salmond subsequently resigned and was replaced by his longtime ally, Nicola Sturgeon. Their later split dominated Scottish politics for years.