Swinney, who served as finance secretary while Salmond was first minister, said he took the party from the fringes of Scottish politics to the heart of government.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Salmond as a “monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics”, while King Charles paid tribute to his “devotion to Scotland” during decades of public service.
Floral tributes have been left outside the Scottish Parliament and Salmond’s home in Strichen, Aberdeenshire.
The former SNP leader was Scotland’s first minister between 2007 and 2014, and in recent years led the Alba party.
Mr Donfried, executive founder and director at the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy (ACD), said Salmond had been an “active member” of his organisation.
He told BBC Scotland News: “For many of the young leaders here he was really a role model and he inspired many of them.”
Speaking from Ohrid in North Macedonia, he said: “We are all still in a state of shock and that is not something we can easily move forward from.”
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