Alex Salmond died with debts of more than £340,000

The former first minister died in October 2024

Alex Salmond died with debts of more than £340,000 and assets of just over £2,000, according to the accountants winding up his estate.

The news came as Kenny Craig, an accountant with insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor, was named as trustee in sequestration of the former first minister's estate.

This is a professional appointed to manage the bankruptcy process in Scotland and follows an application by Salmond's widow Moira.

It emerged last week that Salmond's estate had been forced to seek the equivalent of bankruptcy over the cost of court action taken against the Scottish government in the final years of his life.

The firm said part of that process will involve considering the value of the legal action the former SNP leader was pursuing over the handling of a misconduct investigation into him.

Salmond previously won £512,000 from the Scottish government after it was found the process in handling harassment complaints against him by civil servants was "tainted with apparent bias".

He was later acquitted of a number of sexual misconduct charges at a criminal trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Begbies Traynor, which describes itself as the "UK's leading corporate rescue and recovery practice", confirmed the winding-up of Salmond's estate would include considering the value of all assets, including rights of action raised against the Scottish government.

At the time of his death in October 2024, the former first minister had raised further proceedings seeking damages against the government he once led.

Thomas McKay, managing partner for Begbies Traynor in Scotland, said: "This is an unusual and complex appointment, particularly because it involves ongoing legal proceedings by a high-profile individual against the Scottish government.

"Kenny Craig, supported by our personal insolvency team at Begbies Traynor Group, will of course do all that he can to manage the sequestration as respectfully and sensitively as possible."

Salmond died after suffering a heart attack while attending an event in North Macedonia.