Nicola Sturgeon has taken over the leadership of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and will become Scotland's new first minister next week. Alex Salmond, speaking at the conference, received a standing ovation.
The Scottish Finance Secretary, John Swinney, has been called 'Scotland's Merlin' by Alex Salmond, who is speaking at the SNP conference in Perth.
Nicola Sturgeon has been confirmed as the SNP leader and says she will keep making the case for independence.
As Alex Salmond steps down as First Minister next week, we look at some of the key dates in his career.