Confirmed: Former First Minister Alex Salmond's court case will call next month

Former First Minister Alex Salmond's court case will call for a preliminary hearing later this month, it has been confirmed.

The ex-SNP leader was charged with a total of 14 offences on 24 January this year, including two charges of attempted rape and nine of sexual assault. He denies all the charges.

A spokesman for the Crown Office said today: "The case is scheduled to call for a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh on 21st November, 2019."

It is expected that the trial would then be scheduled to start before a jury at the High Court early next next year, possibly towards the end of January.

Mr Salmond was Scotland's first minister between 2007 and 2014, when he stood down following the independence referendum.

He guided the party to a narrow Scottish election win in 2007 and then led a minority government as he became Scotland’s first SNP First Minister.

In the 2011 election, he led the party to an unprecedented victory with a majority win, meaning the SNP’s manifesto pledge to hold an independence referendum could be delivered.

But the result of the 2014 referendum - a 55% to 45% vote to stay in the UK - led to his departure.