He was born in
Birsay on the isle of
Orkney on 4 March 1851. His father, Rev
Samuel Trail, moved to Aberdeen as Professor of Theology in 1868, but James appears to have been sent to Aberdeen somewhat earlier to be educated there. When his father came they lived in the "Divinity Manse". He is earlier thought to have lived with his uncle, Adam Trail (later Traill) a teacher at the North Free Church School, who lived at 5 North Broadford. Despite a strong love of natural history he was pushed to study medicine at
Aberdeen University and graduated MB ChB around 1871. However, in 1873 his love of botany was fed when he acquired an official post as botanist to the Amazon Steam Navigation Company, allowing him to spend two years in Brazil studying the tributaries of the
River Amazon. In 1876 he was appointed botanist to the colony of
British Guiana but before he sailed he gained a superior position as Professor of Botany at
Aberdeen University beginning in the autumn of 1877 in succession to Prof
George Dickie. In 1893 he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of London. He was also an active member of the
Cairngorm Club. In 1895 he was living at 71 High Street in
Old Aberdeen, close to the university. He died on 18 September 1919 following a short illness. He is buried on the north side of
St. Machar's Cathedral in
Old Aberdeen. ==Memorials==