IT was set to be an ordinary, run-of-the-mill day in Scottish politics – dominated, no doubt, by the weekly rammy of First Minister’s Questions.

But as Holyrood geared up for another round of committees, mudslinging and political point-scoring, nobody could have foreseen the tsunami on the horizon.

The news that Alex Salmond had been arrested and charged broke just before 9:30am, sending shock waves across the country.

READ MORE: List of all the Crown charges against former First Minister Alex Salmond 

Within 15 minutes, The Herald had arrived at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

At this stage, however, details were scant and officials tight-lipped.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service refused to say when the former first minister was due in court, or even where.

It was soon being reported he would appear in Edinburgh within hours. But officials made clear they would not confirm or deny anything.

Snappers and TV crews started to gather from around 11.30am, and rumours quickly swept the press pack about the potential gravity of the charges against Mr Salmond.

Inside the court, there was a nervous energy among staff and security.

It soon became clear around a dozen extra police officers were being drafted in to deal with the growing crowd of journalists and onlookers.

Barriers were erected to hold the media back and allow a clear path through – leading to baffled, slightly nervous looks from those expecting a normal day in court.

As students, tourists and hacks huddled outside in the chill winter air, a people carrier with saltires flying from the windows cruised up and down Chambers Street in an apparent show of support.

Meanwhile, out on the pavement, two men wearing badges made their allegiances clear. One read simply: “I stand with Alex.”

It was a long wait in the cold – and felt longer.

Finally, after a brief flurry of police officers talking into their radios, Mr Salmond arrived by car just before 2pm.

He was accompanied by solicitor advocate Callum Anderson of Glasgow law firm Levy & McRae and his former special adviser Campbell Gunn.

The ex-SNP leader stopped briefly outside court to shake hands with an independence supporter.

As he entered the building, there were shouts and cries from onlookers. Cameras flashed and reporters jostled for position.

Inside, two police officers stood impassively in front of the doors of Court 2 where Mr Salmond’s appearance on petition in private was the only item of business. As is standard, no public or media were allowed in.

After 25 minutes, Sheriff Frank Crowe arrived on the bench and Mr Salmond was glimpsed through the window in the court door standing up in the dock.

His hearing lasted only five minutes, during which it later emerged he made no plea.

READ MORE: Alex Salmond makes statement after being charged with attempted rape and sexual assault 

Afterwards, Mr Salmond’s media handler – his former special adviser in government, Mr Gunn – announced his “employer” would give a statement outside.

At 2.40pm, Mr Salmond walked up to the bank of microphones and lenses.

It was a scene he must have witnessed countless times before, but never like this.

As he spoke, there were shouts of “Captain, My Captain” from the crowd outside – a quote from the Walt Whitman poem about the death of Abraham Lincoln, and later associated with a famous scene in the Robin Williams film Dead Poets Society.

Mr Salmond, 64, initially struggled to make himself heard above the din.

He confirmed he had attended a police station in “central Scotland” yesterday, and was released on condition that he came to court to face the charges against him.

“That I have now done,” he said, before adding: “So, let me say at the outset, I am innocent of any criminality whatsoever.”

He stressed criminal proceedings were now live, limiting what he could say.

He continued: “And therefore the only thing I can say is that I refute absolutely these allegations of criminality and I’ll defend myself to the utmost in court.”

At this stage, journalists and the general public were still in the dark as to what the charges against him were.

Mr Salmond had refuted them, and denied any criminality, but this central piece of the jigsaw was still missing.

It was only 20 minutes later, just after 3pm, that the Crown Office released the full list of 14 charges.

These included two charges of attempted rape and nine of sexual assault.

There was a palpable sense of shock among the media.

Declining to take questions for fear of prejudicing any upcoming jury trial, Mr Salmond headed back inside the court to consult his legal team.

Not long afterwards, he reappeared, flanked by Mr Anderson and Mr Gunn.

Surrounded by half a dozen police officers, he walked out onto Chambers Street and into a waiting silver Citroën, with photographers, reporters and onlookers crowding behind.

Amid the scrum, the vehicle initially had difficulty leaving. Police were forced to clear a path.

As the car swept off, there was scattered applause from supporters.

“Good luck, Alex,” one shouted.

Mr Salmond, who served as first minister for seven years and led the SNP for two decades, was gone.