THE UK Government considered using the Royal Air Force (RAF) to return Alex Salmond to Scotland from North Macedonia following his death, newly published emails show.
Responding to a Freedom of Information request, the Scottish Government released emails relating to correspondence between the Scottish and UK Government surrounding the repatriation process of Salmond, who died aged 69 on Saturday, October 12.
Salmond's body was returned to Scotland on Friday, October 18, on a private chartered flight paid for by millionaire businessman Sir Tom Hunter.
The newly published documents reveal that the FCDO liaised directly with the international funeral directors in North Macedonia and the Hunter Foundation on details about the flight.
Hunter previously said he was covering the cost because the former first minister and his family deserved the "dignity" of a private return home to Scotland.
In a note of a call between Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and the UK minister for Europe Stephen Doughty on Monday, October 14, it shows the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) "had looked at the option of using the RAF".
The note said it was likely that the Ministry of Defence would only agree to use the RAF if there was no commercial option available.
The document also noted that Doughty pointed out that use of the RAF was likely to introduce further delay, "even with good will from the Macedonian authorities".
It added: "So SG could make the request to the MoD – through the Scottish Office – but FCDO’s advice was that this was likely to introduce further delay and prohibitive expense. Private charter options were available and FCDO would work with SG to ensure dignified treatment at both ends of the flight.
"Whatever SG and the family decided they would have FCDO’s support to ensure that the repatriation was as dignified and straightforward as possible"
The note also added that protocol generally only considered RAF flights for members of the royal family.
Forbes is recorded as giving her thanks for the UK Government's support, and said the Scottish Government would consider alternatives to the RAF but cautioned "we might have to return to that option" if a commercial flight did not work for Salmond's family.
In a later email on Monday from Shona Riach, director for external affairs and culture for the Scottish Government, it was explained that military assistance to the civilian authorities (MACAs), and the process if Scotland requests one from the UK.
She wrote that MACAs "have quite strict rules attached to them" and a request must be submitted to the Secretary of State for Scotland for authorisation before going to the Defence Secretary.
"I understand that this is because defence is reserved under the Scotland Act so the formal request to the Defence Secretary has to come from SoS Scotland," the email states.
The FCDO is also recorded as exploring options for a private chartered flight to be paid for by the Scottish Government, looking into how much it would cost as well as flight options to Scottish airports.
The Scottish Government was asked by the FCDO on Wednesday, October 15, to liaise with Aberdeen Airport and expedite approval for the charted flight to land on the Friday.
Between Monday and Wednesday, Hunter is understood to have intervened, and by Wednesday at 5pm, the flight had been booked and paid for.
Several had called for the RAF to return Salmond to Scotland, with people across the political spectrum calling for the UK Government to act.
The Alba Party confirmed, after conflicting reports, that the Scottish Government had offered to pay for Alex Salmond's repatriation but a private plane was quicker.
