Darling, who returned to frontline politics to led the Better Together campaign to uphold the 307-union with England and Scotland, said the award was "the equivalent of the political gold watch".
Darling, who returned to frontline politics to led the Better Together campaign to uphold the 307-union with England and Scotland, said the award was "the equivalent of the political gold watch". Reuters

Former UK Chancellor Alastair Darling won the Lifetime Achievement Award from Scottish newspaper The Herald, after he led the successful campaign to keep Scotland in the UK.

Darling, who returned to frontline politics to led the Better Together campaign to uphold the 307-union with England and Scotland, said the award was "the equivalent of the political gold watch".

"I will still be around. I am sure I will have one or two things to say about the country I love," said Darling in his awards speech.

Meanwhile, another returnee to frontline politics, former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, snapped up the Best Scot at Westminster award for the fourth time.

But it wasn't just about the pro-unionists, Scottish National Party (SNP) newly elected leader Nicola Sturgeon was named Scotland's Politician of the Year the day following her high-profile and influential role during the independence referendum campaign.

"If I was to say this was the biggest honour I have been given this week I think I would probably be lying, but this is a very close second," said Sturgeon in her acceptance speech.

"We have had the most amazing year in Scotland. If I can say that, as someone who was on the losing side of the referendum, that tells you how special 2014 has been for our country.

"Let us continue to debate our differences with vigour and with passion, because that is part of our DNA as Scotland, but let us do something else in 2015, let us focus on the many, many things that unite us as a country."

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Scotland Alex Salmond Scottish Independence