Sir Peter Young (1544–1628) was a Scottish diplomat, Master Almoner, and tutor to James VI of Scotland.

Young was the second son of John Young, burgess of Edinburgh and Dundee, and of Margaret, daughter of Walter Scrymgeour of Glasswell, and was born at Dundee on 15 August 1544. His mother was related to the Scrymgeours of Dudhope (later ennobled with the title of Earl of Dundee), and his father settled in Dundee at the time of his marriage (1541).

Peter Young was educated at the Dundee Grammar School, and probably matriculated at St. Andrews University, though no record of his attendance there has been found. When he was admitted burgess of Dundee he was designated 'Magister', a title exclusively used by masters of arts. In 1562 he was sent to the continent to complete his studies under the care of his uncle, Henry Scrimgeour, by whom he was recommended to Theodore Beza, then professor of theology at Geneva. Scrymgeour was appointed to the newly founded chair of civil law at Geneva in 1563, and Young resided with him until in 1568 he returned to Scotland.

Young's reputation as a scholar was so great that in the beginning of 1570 Regent Moray appointed him joint-instructor of the infant James VI along with George Buchanan. As Buchanan was then advanced in years, it is probable that the chief share of teaching the infant king fell upon Young. He is referred to in complimentary terms in Buchanan's Epistolæ. From the account given by Sir James Melville of Halhill it appears that while Buchanan was "wise and sharp", Young was more of the courtier, in a household controlled by Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar. Young's attitude won the affection of the king, and Young was his favourite counsellor up till the king's death.

Young was involved in building the king's library. An inventory of the king's books written by Young survives, interspersed with exercises by the royal pupil. He wrote about buying books for the king, George Buchanan, and for the Countess of Mar, to Lewis Bellenden, Lord Justice Clerk who was better able to persuade Regent Morton or the Treasurer, Lord Ruthven to expedite payments.

In January 1580 he bought books for the king from the printer and stationer Thomas Vautrollier costing £100. He lost £70 sterling worth of books ordered from London which were taken from a ship, the Jesus of Bo'ness, by pirates in March 1582. Young had many of the king's books bound in Edinburgh by John Gibson.

Young also deciphered letters captured from the agents of Mary, Queen of Scots and wrote out alphabets or cipher keys for the English ambassador Henry Killigrew. On 25 October 1577 Young was made master almoner, a post in the king's household, and received numerous gifts and pensions, several of which are recorded in the acts of parliament. In April 1581 the king's favourite Esmé Stewart gave him a lease, or tack, of the lands of Seytoun, near Arbroath.

In July 1586 he was sent with Colonel William Stewart on his first embassy to Frederick II of Denmark on business concerning Orkney. The English ambassador Thomas Randolph thought they would discuss other secret matters. Randolph wrote that Young was "wise, honest, and learned", but some thought him unfit for the ambassador's role because he was not from a noble family or the holder of an important state office. Courcelles, a French diplomat in edinburgh, noted that Young's negotiations included the subject of the king's marriage to a Danish princess.