Alexander was born in 1835, the youngest child of Archibald Munro and Margaret MacLeod of old Ruisgarry, born following his father's death. In 1850 he moved with his widowed mother to 20 Ruisgarry (Brusda).

He married Christina MacAskill in 1866, with whom he was to have eleven children. However, most were to die during childhood. The family lived on his mother's croft. Alexander was a farmer, later a fisherman, moving to Quay in the early 1900s. The house at Quay later passed to Calum MacIsaac.