Alex Salmond’s body is set to be flown home by a private individual after calls for the RAF to conduct the repatriation were rejected.

       Friends and political allies of the former first minister had said that the military should return Salmond to Scotland, after he died of a heart attack while attending a conference in North Macedonia on Saturday.

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       It is understood a private flight will be chartered and paid for by an unknown individual to return him to Scotland, and while the date of the flight has not yet been confirmed, Salmond’s body could be brought back to Scotland on Friday.

       “It will be Friday at the earliest,” a source said. “Though Friday could turn into Saturday. The final details are still being worked out.”

       A standard private flight from Ohrid in North Macedonia, where Salmond died, to Aberdeen on a midsize jet this week would cost at least ￡26,500, according to the website PrivateFly. The cost of hiring a large airliner to make the trip would be at least ￡63,000.

       On Wednesday afternoon, the Scottish Government said that it was not in a position to confirm or deny the report.

       While there are few precedents for high-profile former British leaders dying abroad, UK Government insiders said that the military would usually only be deployed in repatriation cases related to members of the Royal family.

       The rejection of the military option risks angering allies of Salmond, who had argued that it would have afforded “dignity” to one of the most influential figures in Scottish political history and ensured the return of his body as quickly as possible.

       On Tuesday, Chris McEleny, the general secretary of the Alba Party, which Salmond led, repeated his call for the RAF to fly the body home.

       “Conventions are conventions, until they’re not conventions,” Mr McEleny, who is in North Macedonia to assist with repatriation efforts, said

       “He was the former first minister of Scotland, we’re talking about the office here.”

       He added: “There’s clearly an outpouring of love and hurt in Scotland for Alex, his family obviously need to get him home.

       “I just want to get him home as quickly as possible so that we can move on to, instead of talking about the manner in which he died, start talking about the manner in which he lived.”

       The North Macedonian ministry of foreign affairs has said that the “technical work” of repatriation had been completed and they were “waiting for information regarding the departure time from the Scottish side”.

       ‘Great deal of comfort’

       In a statement, the Alba Party said: “The family of Alex Salmond are able to advise that an agreement has been reached to charter a private plane, the costs of which will be paid for by a private citizen, for the purpose of transporting and returning the body of the former first minister Alex Salmond from Ohrid, North Macedonia, to Aberdeen.”

       Kenny MacAskill, the acting leader of the Alba Party, said: “The family of Alex Salmond would like to put on record their appreciation to the North Macedonian government for expediting the necessary procedures to allow Alex’s body to be released.

       “The family would also like to thank the UK and Scottish Governments for their endeavours to put in place the swift arrangements to bring Alex Salmond home to Scotland.

       “The family are incredibly grateful for the support which is being provided by a private citizen to charter a private plane to allow Alex’s body to come home to Scotland.

       “It brings a great deal of comfort to Moira Salmond’s wife and other members of the family to know that he will soon be home with them.

       “The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this time and will be making an announcement in due course about the funeral arrangements and a memorial service to honour the life of Alex Salmond.”