BUT ALEX, WHERE’S YER TARTAN TROOSERS?
ALEX Salmond and his wife added their own splash of Scottish style to the opening with Moira sporting a tartan shawl and her husband a blue blazer and tartan tie.
But the First Minister had to don a pair of navy blue trousers as his favoured tartan trews were off being taken in – after he lost a lot of weight during the prolonged referendum campaign.
In addition to the pressures and stresses of the months running up to last week’s vote, he has also been following the 5:2 diet in a bid to shed the pounds.
The slimmed-down Mr Salmond, 59, has had to have an inch taken off the waistline of his custom-made trousers, his personal tailor Brian Halley revealed.
Mr Halley, 45, who has made about ten pairs of trews for the SNP leader over the years, said: ‘He wanted the trousers taken in because he lost a fair bit of weight over the referendum. He loves tweed and tartan and is always keen to promote it around the world. We took in a pair of trousers in Earl of St Andrews tartan and we also made him a new pair in the Ryder Cup tartan.’
Mr Halley, who runs Slanj Kilts in Edinburgh and Glasgow with his brother Craig, 42, added: ‘We started making trousers for Mr Salmond in 1998 when Scotland qualified for the World Cup.
‘He has said he feels more comfortable in the trousers rather than in a kilt.’