Alex Samond supporters gather to pay their respects

Alex Samond supporters gather to pay their respects as his body was flown back to Scotland

Transcript

00:00folk with the motorbikes and the cars. Is that something that was arranged earlier on?

00:06It was impromptuly arranged yesterday on the day before when Alexander's family and friends,

00:14especially his wife Moira, said because of his stature as more than just a husband, a brother,

00:22a family man, he was beloved of the wee folk, the small folk of Scotland, and from that moment

00:30people organised the way we always have done across the Yes movement. The Yes bikers just

00:37organised, they come from all over with the people today, we've seen them from Dundee,

00:42from Glasgow, from all over, and probably all the way up through the Brock, the Brock being

00:50Fraserburgh for the people that don't know it in the country, there'll be people lining the streets.

00:57Oh, there'll be people up there, do you think, ready for him? I better get up there.

01:01All the way, all the way up, probably. The ladies here will tell you where they're from.

01:06Can I ask you your name and where you're from, please?

01:08Yes, my name's Joy Johnston, I'm from Girdon, which is down in the mounds.

01:11I know it, I'm from Inverberby.

01:15I'm Heather Coole, I'm from Inverberby.

01:17You're from Inverberby, that's how many sisters!

01:19Ah, okay, that's lovely. So what's drawn you up here today,

01:22why was it so important for you to be here?

01:25We just wanted to mark the occasion and pay our respects to Alec and his family,

01:28because he's had a great influence on life in Scotland and politics in Scotland over his

01:34career and his lifetime, and it just felt fitting to come and say goodbye when we could.

01:38And do you feel the same?

01:39Absolutely, yes, and never have an opportunity to get to show our appreciation.

01:45And, I mean, the news came as a huge shock to everyone,

01:49about his really loyal supporters of Alec Salmond.

01:52How did it sit with you, that news of last Saturday?

01:55It was a big shock, full of surprise.

01:58Were you on the phone to each other straight away?

02:00Well, messages and everything.

02:02Yeah, it would have been a big moment, I guess, for you two.

02:06And what was it about Alec Salmond, would you say,

02:09that made him such a powerful figure and someone who really inspired

02:14this kind of loyalty and support amongst a group of people?

02:18He worked on the basis that all politics is local, and was a friend of all people,

02:23and very, very open and always had a listening ear and a willingness to help anyone that needed it.

02:32And do you feel the same?

02:34Yeah, and it's just a firm belief in that Scotland could be a better nation

02:37were it to be independent.

02:40Thank you very much for your time.