David John Wauchope Dundas was born on 3 February 1886. He was one of two sons of Colin Mackenzie Dundas, Commander R.N., of Ochtertyre, Stirlingshire (1842-1902) and Agnes, second daughter of the late Samuel Wauchope, Esq., C.B. In the 1900s, Dundas studied at Edinburgh University and these studies included lectures on Agriculture and Entemology given by William Fream (1854-1906) who in 1890 had become the first Steven lecturer at Edinburgh on agricultural entomology, and also by Professor Robert Wallace (1853-1939) who - like Fream - had previously been on the staff of the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

On 14 February 1920, Dundas married Winifred Hersey MacKenzie, the youngest daughter of Colin James MacKenzie WS., JP., of Portmore.

David John Wauchope Dundas lived at Woodhouselee, Milton Bridge, Midlothian, and at Machany House, Perthshire, and died on 24 September 1938, pre-deceasing his wife who died in July 1946. Their son, William John Dundas (1923-1965), was a survivor of the sinking of HMS Hood by the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941.