Alex Salmond is not a Scot made of the dour Gordon Brown-cloth, but an altogether gregarious politician, boasting eyebrows that could shelter a family of five.
Scotland's robust First Minister may not be everybody's cup of tea, but he's finally (finally!) named a date for the much-anticipated Independence Referendum. It will take place on 18 September 2014.
According to the opposition, Salmond is having a laugh with some of his cock-eyed policies.
Well, he's certainly a man who likes a good guffaw, as these photographs show. Take a look through the evolution of the First Minister's laugh. It looks like running Scotland's a lot easier than dealing with stressed-out Southerners.