Little is known of James’ early life, but it is likely to have been an unsettled upbringing - his father was constantly on the move and sometimes imprisoned for treachery. In 1543 Patrick divorced Agnes on the grounds of consanguinity. In fact, this left him free to unsuccessfully woo Mary of Guise. Agnes lived out her life as Lady of Morham, but James was deprived of seeing her.

Patrick was always looking to the main chance, and corresponded regularly with Henry VIII, even after the ‘rough wooing’. He also saw no problems in having any woman he wanted, and went so far as to set his sights on the English Princesses Mary and Elizabeth.

Patrick was instrumental in the death of George Wishart, but it seems likely that James had heard Wishart speak as a child in the villages near his homes. This would account for his Protestantism, along with his receiving a fair part of his education at his great uncle Bishop Patrick’s palace of Spynie.

James completed his education abroad, certainly spending some time in Paris, whiere critics later claimed he studied the black arts of magic and sorcery. He returned to Scotland on the death of his father in September 1556. Patrick Hepburn had died, possibly of TB, aged thirty four, and James succeeded to his titles.

James’ later actions showed that he had learned from his father’s follies - his disloyalty had brought about the loss of his liberty and his lands, and his grudges had never been satisfied. Although a Protestant, James also had a hatred of religious persecution which was not shared by his Knox-led contemporaries. It has been speculated that this may have been due to the involvement of his father in the death of Wishart, his spiritual teacher. And unlike his father, he never forgave the English for their barbarous ‘rough wooing’, and refused to accept an income from them, however badly in need of it he became.