A WOMAN who Alex Salmond is accused of attempting to rape was not at a Bute House dinner on the night the offence is said to have occurred, a witness has claimed.

Samantha Barber, 50, said she did not see the alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons and is known as Woman H, at the former first minister's official residence that evening.

She told the High Court in Edinburgh: "I absolutely genuinely have no recollection of seeing [Woman H] that night."

Mr Salmond, 65, is accused of attempting to rape Woman H in a Bute House bedroom in June 2014.

The alleged incident is said to have occurred after a dinner attended by a celebrity.

Woman H, a former Scottish Government official, previously told the court she felt "hunted" by Mr Salmond, who "full-on pounced" on her and took her clothes off.

Mr Salmond denies the allegation, which he previously called a “fabrication”, and says Woman H was angry after he failed to back her in a personal political project.

He also denies a further allegation that he assaulted the same woman the previous month.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, he said Woman H was not at Bute House on the night of the dinner in June 2014.

He said he had a "consensual sexual liaison" with her the previous year.

Ms Barber, a company director, said she was asked to attend the Bute House dinner at short notice by Woman H, who indicated she would not be attending.

The defence witness said she arrived at Bute House just after 7pm, and only three people were at the dinner – herself, Mr Salmond and the celebrity.

One bottle of wine was served during the meal, she said, and the conversation ranged from the celebrity's work to the upcoming Scottish independence referendum.

Ms Barber said she did not drink any wine because she was driving, and the evening "drew naturally to a close" at around 9pm.

She then went home, leaving Mr Salmond and the celebrity at Bute House.

Shelagh McCall QC, Mr Salmond's lawyer, asked if only three people had been at the dinner.

Ms Barber said: "That is my recollection, yes."

Alex Prentice QC, the prosecution lawyer, later questioned why Ms Barber had sought advice before giving a statement to police.

The businesswoman said: "I wanted to take advice to understand the judicial process. That did not necessarily mean speaking to lawyers."

Woman H previously told the court she was assaulted by Mr Salmond after the dinner.

The former first minister is accused of blocking her path, removing her clothing, pushing her on to a bed and lying naked on top of her.

In a recorded police statement previously shown in court, the celebrity said he remembered Woman H attending the dinner.

Elsewhere, the court heard Woman H said it "would be great" to work with Mr Salmond again, a year after it is alleged he attempted to rape her.

Jurors were shown a text message exchange between the complainer and former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.

Part of one message sent by Woman H in June 2015 – a year after the alleged attempted rape – read: "Would be great to be working with him again."

The court was shown a further text message, sent to Ms Ahmed-Sheikh the following month, in which Woman H said she was scrapping a personal political project she was pursuing.

Woman H wrote: "Alex has it all to explain for. Absolute chaos."

Ms Ahmed-Sheikh told the court she was also present at Stirling Castle in November 2014, when Mr Salmond is alleged to have sexually assaulted a civil servant, known as Woman K, by grabbing her bottom.

The incident is said to have happened while a photo was being taken.

Asked if she had noticed anything untoward, Ms Ahmed-Sheikh said: "No, I did not."

The court also heard from Mr Salmond's former principal private secretary, who described working with him as a "privilege and a penance".

Karen Watt, who held the post between 2009 and 2012, said it had been an exciting, fast-paced but very demanding job.

She said Mr Salmond expected people to be at the top of their game and could be “quite fierce if things weren't as they should be”, but was an “impressive politician”.

Kirk Torrance, a former new media strategist for the SNP, told the court another complainer – Woman J – had appeared in good humour the day after she was allegedly assaulted by Mr Salmond in 2014.

He said the SNP worker was gossiping enthusiastically with staff in the party’s Edinburgh HQ.

Asked if she seemed upset, he said: “Quite the opposite, actually.”

Elsewhere, Geoff Aberdein, Mr Salmond’s former chief of staff, described the former first minister as “firm but fair”.

He said working for Mr Salmond was "one of the best experiences of my life".

He told the court he spoke with a complainer, who claims the accused sexually assaulted her, but she did not indicate she would be involved in proceedings against him.

Meanwhile, Mr Salmond's former deputy private secretary Lorraine Kay also appeared as witness for the defence.

She agreed with Gordon Jackson QC, defending, that Mr Salmond was "old fashioned".

Mr Jackson said: "Would you describe him as a kind of tactile, touchy-feely kind of person?"

"Yes, I would," said Ms Kay, who worked as a civil servant for 21 years.

She added: "He was always very happy to do selfies with people.

"I have any number of photos with his arm around... very cuddly, hugging people. He was very comfortable with that kind of thing with people."

But asked if she ever saw any "out of order" or "inappropriate" behaviour, Ms Kay said: "Not that I witnessed, no."

She also said she was not aware of any policy to prevent female civil servants working alone with Mr Salmond in Bute House in the evenings.

The court previously heard a new rota system was introduced following two alleged sexual assaults.

Ms Kay said: "There was no system that I was ever made aware of."

Former special adviser Alexander Anderson, 41, told the court Mr Salmond “has always been tactile”, but “absolutely not” sexually inappropriate.

He said he worked for Mr Salmond in one role or another for 15 years.

He said: "He could be challenging at times, but also greatly encouraging and [an] inspirational employer as well."

Mr Salmond is on trial over accusations of sexual assault, including an attempted rape, spanning a period between June 2008 and November 2014. He denies all the allegations.

His lawyers previously lodged special defences of consent and alibi.

Consent was given as a defence for three alleged sexual assaults and an alleged indecent assault against three women.

Mr Salmond's defence case is expected to be completed tomorrow.

He was first minister from May 2007 until November 2014, when he resigned following the No result in the independence referendum.

The trial, before judge Lady Dorrian, continues.