Herbert played 8 consecutive seasons from 1882 to 1888, and won 8 singles titles.

In 1887 he reached the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships, lost to Harry Grove in straight sets.

In 1889 he played his final tournament at the Scottish Championships where he was beaten by Ireland's Ernest Browne in the quarter-finals.

His career singles highlights included winning the Whitehouse Open four times (1885, 1886, 1887, 1888), the Edinburgh University LTC Tournament two times (1885, 1886) and the Warriston Park LTC Tournament in 1886.

The sixth of seven sons and one of the eleven children of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and of Frances Dora Smith, His younger brother Patrick Bowes-Lyon also played tennis competitively, he never married.