Scotland had an unusual system of selecting the next king. Instead of a dynasty (members of the same family succeeding one another) they alternated between different royal families. Kings were selected from a group called the ‘derbfine.’ Anyone whose father, grandfather or great-grandfather had been a king in Scotland was a member. The next king was selected based on his age, the things he had done, and his character. The selected heir was called a tanist and became the next king.[2]
