EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Scottish nationalist Alex Salmond resigned as leader of his party on Friday and will quit as First Minister of his country after losing an independence referendum.
"For me as leader my time is nearly over but for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream will never die," Salmond told reporters in Edinburgh.
Salmond said he would not accept the nomination as leader of the Scottish National Party at an annual conference in November and that he would then resign as First Minister.
"After the membership ballot I will stand down as first minister to allow the new leader to be elected," he said.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout, writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Mike Peacock)