 A patrilineal descendant of Robert the Bruce, he was the elder son of Archibald Campbell Carne Ross of Penzance and Brecon (through whom he descended also from Joseph Carne, of the Batten, Carne and Carne bank), and Millicent Strode Cobham.His paternal grandfather was Charles Campbell Ross.He was educated at Lindisfarne in Blackheath, Naish House in Burnham-on-Sea, Malvern College and Christ College, Brecon.