Salmond made the remarks to assembled media outside the party's conference at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center in Glasgow.
Arriving at conference. Fantastic speech from our new Depute Leader. Congratulations @AngusRobertson. #SNP16 https://t.co/k4i77Q4ROk
— Alex Salmond (@AlexSalmond) October 14, 2016
The event began in a blaze of publicity on Thursday with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that an Independence Referendum Bill would be published next week.
"Ultimately if the PM doesn't listen, is intent on ignoring Scotland's voice, we should have option of independence" @NicolaSturgeon #SNP16
— Fergus Mutch (@Fergoodness) October 14, 2016
The issue of independence has been put back on the table after the Britain as a whole voted to leave the European Union, despite Scotland voting to stay.
"The ball is in Theresa May's court," said Salmond. "She'll either accept the legitimate demands of Scotland or she's won't. If she doesn't then I would anticipate an independence referendum within the next two years."
"We've got a thousand year history as a European nation, I don't think we should have a fly-by-night Tory government drag us out of that."
Remember when Theresa May came up to Scotland within days of becoming Prime Minister what she actually said that she would go with an agreed position across the UK. Now they've started to roll back from that, but that's what Tory governments tend to do."
When pressed on if it would be an error to wait until after the Brexit process is complete in 2018, Salmond said "these are matters for Nicola Sturgeon."
"No society, which has felt the pain of mass-emigration, fears immigration." #SNP16 pic.twitter.com/5OKjHcXdXn
— Alex Salmond (@AlexSalmond) October 14, 2016
"She'll present Scotland's demands. If these are incorporated into the UK's negotiating position then well and good. If not, then I anticipate a referendum within the next two years," Salmond said.
At the last referendum in 2014, Scotland voted to stay in the union by 55 percent to 45 percent. And polls continue to show a narrow majority against independence.
But delegates here believe Britain's vote to leave the European Union has changed the situation.
And SNP member of the Scottish Parliament Sandra White told Sputnik that a referendum would have to take place before the Brexit process is over.
"Having looked at it, I think we need to go before Brexit is complete. A closed door is much harder to open. We have a door that's open to us. We need to push through that door and the independence referendum will give us the opportunity. It's got to come before Brexit is complete," said the MSP for Glasgow Kelvin.
Meanwhile, just a short walk across the River Clyde, an alternative event is taking place called IdeaSpace, billed as a 'festival of ideas'.
Massive crowd for #IdeaSpace #SNP16 gig on local democracy. Watch live via independence https://t.co/I6XCdXcGnj pic.twitter.com/lIkSPPLzWM
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) October 14, 2016
Meetings are being held on a range of subjects including local democracy, foreign policy and economics.
The event is organised by the think tank The Common Weal. It's Head of Policy and Research Ben Wray is more cautious approach about when a second referendum might take place.
"Sturgeon is trying to position herself to have the utmost flexibility but she's not necessarily going to pull the trigger (on a referendum)," Wray told Sputnik.
"It's all smoke and mirrors politics until we properly find out what the UK's position is in the post-Brexit world."
