ROBERT Salmond, the father of former First Minister Alex Salmond, has died.
Tributes have been paid to the 96-year-old father of four, grandfather-of-five, and great-grandfather-of-two, who passed peacefully at Erskine Home for ex-servicemen on Monday night.
Salmond senior had served as a petty officer in the Navy during the Second World War, where he was stationed on the fleet carrier HMS Indomitable when she was torpedoed during the invasion of Sicily in 1943.
A funeral service will be held in his local church in Linlithgow next week.
Two of his children are standing for election, Alex in Gordon in the North East, and Gail in the Holyrood by-election for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire.
Alex said: “Dad, a passionate SNP supporter for more than half a century, always took a keen interest in elections. However, he was really proud of all of his children’s achievements.
“All four of us Margaret, myself, Gail and Bob are enormously grateful to the Erskine staff whose kindness to our father over these last few years has been beyond measure.
“It is a very sad week for all of the family and Gail and I have taken some time out from our campaigns to help with the arrangements.
“However, we both know exactly what Dad would be saying to us right now, ‘for goodness sake dust yourself down and get on with it’.
“That is what we all intend to do.”
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