Ka kammala jumlar da ta biyo baya: Ya hau kan mulki a masarautar ya fara ne da mummunar rashin nasarar da ya yi wa babban dan uwansa Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, a
Yaƙin Homildon Hill a watan Satumba na 1402, inda Ingilishi suka kama shi. James yanzu ya zama shugaban babban reshe na dangi Douglas mai iko kuma an bar shi don kula da tasirin su a kudancin Scotland. Nasarar da ya samu a wannan batun ya kiyaye tasirin Douglas har zuwa dawowar babban dan uwansa daga zaman talala a cikin 1409, a lokacin da ya ɗauki matsayin mai ba da shawara kuma an ba shi lada tare da ba da babbar ƙasa. Mafi mahimmanci daga cikin waɗannan shi ne sansanin Abercorn Castle, wanda zai zama babban gidansa na sauran rayuwarsa.