Before ascending to the throne of England as King James I, which country did he rule?

Okay, let's talk about King James I and his journey to the English throne. Before he became King of England, he was actually King James VI of Scotland. This is a really important point in British history because it marks the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Think of it like this: Queen Elizabeth I of England died without an heir, and James, who was her cousin and already the King of Scotland, inherited the English throne. So, he moved from Edinburgh down to London to rule both countries. This didn't create a single country of "Great Britain" just yet – that came later with the Acts of Union in 1707 – but it did mean that England and Scotland shared the same monarch. That's why Scotland is the correct answer. France, Northern Ireland, and Wales were never ruled by James before he became King of England. It's easy to get confused with all the different monarchs and kingdoms, but remembering that James came *from* Scotland to become King of England helps keep it straight.