Alex Salmond, who died on Saturday aged 69, left a long-lasting footprint on British politics and the cause of Scottish independence.

Alex Salmond was the dominant figure in Scottish politics of the past three decades. He led the Scottish National Party for 20 years, was the first pro-independence First Minister of Scotland and brought about a referendum on the Union which ended his front-line career but put to bed any lingering notion that a separate Scotland was unimaginable.