Charles Kennedy was considering whether to run for the Scottish Parliament at the time of his death, it has been claimed.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said Mr Kennedy had been offered a candidacy to stand as an MSP and had planned to make a decision by the end of summer.
Mr Rennie said that the former MP Ross, Skye and Lochaber, who had been ousted after 32 years at the May General Election, had also been put forward for a seat in the House of Lords
Kennedy was at the “top of the list” of the party’s potential nominees for a peerage, a spokesman for the UK party said.
Former MP Mr Kennedy was found dead at his home in Caol after suffering an alcohol-related hemorrhage last Monday.
If he had won the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch seat in the Scottish Parliamentary elections next year he would have served many of his former constituents.
Leader Willie Rennie said: : “He was interested in all of the big issues of the time, he was certainly engaged in them and I told him I wouldn’t be surprised if he was elevated to the House of Lords.
“He wasn’t finished with politics, he still had more to give.”
“I told him that I’d like him to consider standing for the Scottish Parliament and outlined to him how much time he’d have to make up his mind and the option of the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Constituency, but that if it was a non-starter to tell me quickly.
“He said it wasn’t a non-starter.. He would think about it over the summer and let me know after that.
“He was attracted to the idea. He could see himself in the Scottish Parliament, he wouldn’t think it was such a change to him that he couldn’t do that.
Mr Rennie added: “The fact that he did not rule it out straight away gave me great encouragement. Whether in the end he would have done it I’m not sure.”
A UK Lib Dem spokesman said: “Charles loved parliament and he loved being in the House of Lords and he would have been a spectacular member of the Lib Dem group there.”
Mr Kennedy was leader of the Liberal Democrats between 1999 and 2006 but stood down after admitting he had a drink problem.
After a post-mortem examination, his family issued a statement saying his unexpected death was “a consequence of his battle with alcoholism”.