The Banff and Buchan MP defeated Mike Russell and Roseanna Cunningham with more than 75% of the vote.

His return is a remarkable turnaround for a man who once said if he was re-elected as party leader, he would resign. But, following Friday's result, Mr Salmond said it was "good to be back".

Critics argue that Mr Salmond leading the party, without having a seat in the Holyrood parliament, is counter-productive to the SNP.

Is Alex Salmond the right man to lead the SNP? Will he be able to increase the party's stature in the Scottish Parliament without a seat in the chamber? Are you glad to see him back? Here are your views.

Alex Salmond will provide the inspirational leadership Scotland needs to move from our Parliament(with pocket money) to the Independence which is our birthright!
Peter Johnston, Livingston

Fantastic news! The Salmond - Sturgeon partnership are ideally placed to take Scotland forward to independence.
Geoff Aberdein, Aberdeen

Interesting to see most of the people supporting Alex on this page are not writing from Scotland!
Ian Blaber, Bristol

Not really surprised considering the number of sheep that followed Swinney blindly and unquestioningly. Alex is obviously a brilliant politician but to force Nicola down our throats in a "take her or I leave it" pact was political blackmail of the worst kind. I feel sorry for Roseanna, she deserved better than to end up having Nicola "ladying" over her. I'm sad to say my shiny membership card is heading back to Edinburgh!
David Norwood, West Kilbride, Scotland

Alex Salmond said a few weeks ago if he was elected as leader of the party he would resign. Well,when is he going to keep his word?
Ian, Dumfries

Alex can now finish the job he started. This result cannot be disputed, the members of the SNP have spoken. From this platform, the lacklustre Lab-Lib coalition will soon be under threat. Congratulations Alex and Nicola.
Monica, Govan, Scotland

To me this is a backward step and just shows how badly the SNP have lost it. They should be looking to the future not going back to someone who, despite what he wants us to believe, never really troubled Labour in national elections. I am sorry to say it but Salmond is a has-been.
Pete Trevelion, Glenrothes

As a lifelong supporter of the SNP I am disappointed by this result. Alex had his chance to lead the party to independence. I would have liked to see Rosanna win. I think having a strong woman at the helm would have been a great vote winner, and she would have done a great job. The party have shot themselves in the foot. They might think its a case of "Better the Devil you know", but i don't think this will be a vote winner.
Neil Curran, Seoul, S.Korea (from Dundee)

I am delighted by this result. Mr Salmond is a thoroughly likeable man and simultaneously a catastrophic choice for a party whose policies I, as well as most people in Scotland and the rest of the UK, strongly oppose. We can look forward to some great television and further bad election results for the SNP.
Peter Turner, Oxford, UK

"Honest" John was at least likable, "Smart" Alex is a bit to smug for his own good. He's a grandstander, always looking for a quick media hit. He'll never be First Minister.
Doug, Banff

The worst comeback since Mo Johnstone said he was coming back to Celtic Dave, East Kilbride

Very poor result for Roseanna who has had been a prominent figure in the party for a decade. Worrying this is likely to be the end of her career, the high profile position of leader would have saved her mariginal seat. With a majority of only 700 votes Roseanna is gone at the next election. Another seat lost for the Salmond/Sturgeon team.
David , Australia (ex pat)

The worst comeback since Mo Johnstone said he was coming back to Celtic! Leading the party from London will strip the SNP of the little credibility it had left.
Dave, East Kilbride

Hardly a ringing endorsement for the women of the SNP. Clearly Alex knows what a woman's place is and its not as leader. Shame on Nicola Sturgeon for standing aside for him. Well fought Roseanna. Better luck next time.
Alan Beith, Dundee

So, when's the resignation Alex? To be fair to Salmond he may not have been lying when he said he would not stand etc. But if Sir Sean pointed out that this was the SNP and it couldn't be run by a lassie, not if he was bankrolling it, he wouldn't have had any choice. So, since he obviously control things from London it is simply a question of which of the SNP MSPs is going to do the honorable thing and hand him a seat? When that happens, I hope the electorate remember whose ego they are massaging!
Jeff, Scotland

Salmond is yesterdays man for yesterday's party.
Paul, Edinburgh

The party that I have supported and followed for the last 10 years has just put the final nail in its coffin. We've handed a victory to Labour by saying that we can't survive without Salmond and by electing a leader that can't make up his mind what parliament is most important. We've missed our chance.
Arlene Denny, Dumfries

Salmond is a control freak, and it won't be lost on opponents of nationalism that he will be controlling the SNP from his London office. It's an amazing own goal!
Jim Wilson, Stirling

Very glad to see this man back at the helm once more. He must be one of the few people in UK politics that I believe when he speaks RL McGee, Edinburgh

Not exactly a resounding endorsement of a thrusting new force in Scottish politics. Same old Alex, same old irrelevance.
David McGuigan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Tha e cudthromach gun teid na talantan aig a'cheathrar thagraichean eile a chur gu deagh fheum cuideachd is gun neartaich sin sreath-aghaidh na partaidh
Iain MacIlleChiar, Inbhir Nis

This is fantastic news. The SNP now have a leader who knows how to connect with Scots, both in person and in the media, and who can show the people that in Scotland we are governed by parties with no vision for the future or clear ideology.
Andrew Thomson, Edinburgh, Scotland

Typical two-faced MP. Let's hope he can do better than last time. Scotland needs a firm leader.
John Dalziel, London

Very glad to see this man back at the helm once more. he must be one of the few people in UK politics that I believe when he speaks. Let's hope Scotland can listen.
RL McGee, Edinburgh

Oh no. The party should be bigger than this. What Alex wants, Alex gets. Well, he'll not have my vote until the pair of them are away.
jackie, edinburgh

This is a great result for the SNP, and for Scottish Politics in general. Jack McConnell is nothing but a jumped up councillor. Alex Salmond is a true statesman, and the gulf in class will show in the run-up to 2007.
Mark McDonald, Aberdeen, Scotland

The SNP likes its fish. The two were mermaid for each other and it looks like the membership has swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker. Saying that, the SNP has a track record of electing a haddock as leader. I don't want to sound like an old crab here but let's hope this doesn't mark the fin for independence or we'll all be in the drink.
Mark Hirst, Abernethy

Welcome back Alex! I am really happy to see the SNP back on the road to victory. Christine Grahame did surprisingly well. Alex and Nicola should give her a prominent position. She is a feisty and competent performer.
Stuart Dickson, Gothenburg, Sweden

Salmond has had his chance. He is yesterday's man. Let us not forget the SNP didn't win any elections the first time he was leader and there is no evidence to suggest he will win anything now. It's SNP policies which need to change, not their leader.
Ted Donaldson, Aberdeen

Bit of a farce really. Does a party really move forward when it re-elects an old leader. Imagine what we would think of the Conservatives or Labour if they re-elected John Major or Neil Kinnock as leaders. Nicloa Sturgeon is a bad choice. She thinks too highly of herself to be able to accept constructive criticism. The SNP will have to do a lot more than elect a new leader to make it an electable party. Firstly, they should modernise and accept the fact that they may have to agree with the Conservatives on many points to demolish the current Lib-Lab pact. I wish them well, but fear the worst.
Donald , Aberdeen

What a joke! How can the SNP have any credibility in Scotland when their leader thinks he's too good for the Scottish Parliament?
Morag, renfrewshire

So, the control freak is back. What a disaster for the SNP. So much for looking forward with bold new ideas. I'm disappointed.
Mary McDougall, Aberdeen

The SNP can now unite behind the new leadership and start exposing the Lib/Lab puppet government in Scotland Neil MacLeod, Carnoustie

While I am disappointed that Mike Russell did not win, as he had some excellent ideas for the future, there is no doubting Alex Salmond's capabilities and presence. He will have 100% backing from this member and I hope all others and I wish him well, as Scotland and the SNP need Alex Salmond to grab the agenda by the scruff of the neck and shake some life back into Scottish democracy and deliver independence. I also make a plea to him to involve both Mike And Roseanna, both of whom have proved their quality in the course of the campaign.
Paul, Cockburnspath

Glad to have you back Alex, now that this is over lets hope we can shift the focus on to that small matter of independence....
Adam, Cambridge

I fear that Salmond and Sturgeon are going to be the butt of a lot of fish jokes, which is a shame as they are an important part of Scottish politics.
Jonathan, Dalry, Scotland

The SNP can now unite behind the new leadership and start exposing the Lib/Lab puppet government in Scotland.
Neil MacLeod, Carnoustie, Scotland

Delighted. The best man won! Looking forward to better things under Mr Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.
Moira Harper, Stewarton, Ayrshire, Scotland

It's difficult to dislike Alex, but it seems odd that he's determined to stay out of the Scottish Parliament. What is more worrying is that the SNP seems so reliant on him - they'd be in real trouble if he was run over by a bus!
Jeff Hinks, Aberdeen

It's an irrelevance. Why should it matter who captains the Titanic once it has started to sink?
Davie, Edinburgh, UK

The result is hardly surprising given the resources Salmond and Sturgeon had at their disposal. The key thing now will be to see if they can deliver the radical approach needed and make the SNP a party once again of independence rather than neverendum. My fear however is that once a fish always a fish as they say in Govan and Banff!
Mark MacIain, Perth

Delighted to see Alex Salmond back as leader of the SNP. Never has Scotland needed a strong SNP more than now, and never has the SNP needed a strong leader more than now. In Mr Salmond, the SNP has a leader who will waste no opportunity to expose the gross ineptitude and lack of direction of the Lib/Lab ruling clique. Alex Salmond is by a mile the most impressive Scottish parliamentarian in decades.
Willie Ross, Shetland

Hooray
john, Edinburgh

A great result. Now perhaps we can see the end of London shafting the rest of the UK.
Fred Delaney, Norwich