The execution of James Hamilton of Finnart has historical interest as an incident that has been cited as evidence of arbitrary cruelty and greed in the behaviour of James V. This and other aspects of the story were discussed in the History of the Five Jameses by William Drummond of Hawthornden first published in 1655.
The execution of James Hamilton of Finnart is noteworthy for its historical importance as a case cited to illustrate James V's alleged capriciousness and avarice. This incident, along with other elements of the story, were analyzed in William Drummond's History of the Five Jameses, published in 1655.