In addition to Annandale, Robert was Lord of Hartlepool (otherwise known as Hartness) in county Durham, and Writtle and Hatfield Broadoak in Essex, England.

[2] His possessions were increased following the defeat of Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham (1265), via a series of grants that included the estates of former rebel barons.

He was the closest surviving male relative to the king: Margaret of Huntingdon's descendants were all females up until birth of Hugh Balliol sometime in the 1260s.

The succession in the main line of the House of Dunkeld became highly precarious when towards the end of Alexander's reign, all three of his children died within a few years.

The middle-aged Alexander III induced in 1284 the Estates to recognise as his heir-presumptive his granddaughter Margaret, called the "Maid of Norway", his only surviving descendant.

The two most notable claimants to the throne, John Balliol and Robert himself represented descent through David's daughters Margaret and Isobel, respectively.

The events took place as follows: Soon after the death of young queen Margaret, Robert Bruce raised a body of men with the help of the earls of Mar and Atholl and marched to Perth with a considerable following and uncertain intentions.

Bishop William Fraser of St. Andrews, worried of the possibility of civil war, wrote to King Edward I of England, asking for his assistance in choosing a new monarch.

Edward took this chance to demand sasine of the Scottish royal estate, but agreed to pass judgment in return for recognition of his suzerainty.

On 3 August 1291 Edward asked both Balliol and Bruce to choose forty auditors while he himself chose twenty-four, to decide the case.

After considering all of the arguments, in early November 1292 the court decided in favour of John Balliol, having the superior claim in feudal law, not to mention greater support from the kingdom of Scotland.