Peter Murrell arrested: How police descended on SNP HQ in heart of historic Edinburgh

A large police presence descended on the SNP’s headquarters in Edinburgh on Wednesday morning.

News of the extraordinary operation in the heart of the Scottish capital began to emerge after it was confirmed Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, had been arrested.

Half a dozen police vehicles, including vans, a people carrier and two unmarked cars, were parked outside when I arrived at Gordon Lamb House just off the Royal Mile, where the SNP occupy the third floor, at 10:30am.

A number of police officers entered the building over the course of the morning, with some carrying bags and boxes. Two uniformed officers were stationed at the main door throughout.

Police officers attend the SNP's headquarters in Edinburgh. Picture: Robert Perry/Getty Images

Gordon Lamb House sits within a lane connecting Edinburgh’s historic Canongate to Holyrood Road. The Scottish Parliament, Palace of Holyroodhouse and Dynamic Earth are all just a stone’s throw away.

Passing tourists and locals alike were baffled to find the route clogged up with police, television cameras, photographers and journalists. Those working in the architectural firm on the ground floor of the nondescript building must also have found the situation bewildering.

The morning’s events had taken the reporters themselves by surprise. One journalist, who evidently expected a much quieter day following a busy few weeks in Scottish politics, arrived with his dog in tow.

At 11:30am, around a dozen police officers entered the building, which has housed the SNP since 2008. It was an indication of the size of the operation. Police Scotland’s earlier statement had said officers were carrying out searches “at a number of addresses as part of the investigation”.

Former first minister Alex Salmond was met with TV cameras and photographers as he entered the nearby BBC building around 12:20pm. “I led the SNP for a long time,” he told journalists. “So I’m very sad about what’s happening to it, and indeed about what it’s become.”

Later, around 1:50pm, two uniformed police officers were seen carrying another large box into Gordon Lamb House.

Just under 40 minutes later, around a dozen officers left the building, carrying equipment, including what looked like a torch, and boxes. They had been inside for hours.