Born around 1522; on the 27th of December 1554, he was granted a charter of the lands and Barony of Lundie by his father. This was confirmed under the great seal on the 5th of January the following year.
Shortly after William's father's imprisonment by Mary Queen of Scots in 1565, as a result of Walter's religious beliefs and his request for Mary not perform Mass in his house, William, along with Andrew Murray of Balviard; Patrick Lermonth of Daisy; Andrew Wood, younger of Largo; Thomas Scott of Abbotshall; and Alexander Traill of Blebo; were all ordered by the King and Queen into ward, north of the river Dee:
With the abdication of Queen Mary in June of 1567, and ruled by the protestant party, the Lundie family, having long professed these religious beliefs again gained favour. William was to be appointed to several high offices, and perform important duties, especially in relation to the religious reformation.
In 1573, William was himself a member of the Privy Council, along with the Regent Morton, Lord Glamis, Lord Boyd, the Bishop of Orkney, the Commendator of Dunfermline, Douglas of Wittinghame, John Erskine of Dun, and Sir John Wishart of Pitarrow, and in 1578 he was again excused from attending inquests, with this second entry showing that around this time William was one of the Senators of the College of Justice.
So high stood the character of William Lundie of that Ilk, at the Court of King James VI., that, in 1580, he was nominated to represent his Majesty at the meetings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, as the sole representative of the sovereign. In that same year, Andrew Melville, the new leader of the Scottish Church after the death of John Knox, is know to have came to Lundie House on his way to St. Andrews, where he was to be installed as Principal of the New College and deliver his inaugural lecture.
William was twice married. His first wife was the Honourable Christian Ruthven, seventh and youngest daughter of William Second Lord Ruthven by his wife the heiress of Dirleton. It is suggested that they were married around 1550. As part of the contract for the marriage between Christian and William, Christian came with a marriage tocher of 2500 merks, which was still being paid to William in 1556. Christian died before the 17th of July 1575.
By 1577, William had re-married to Elizabeth (or Elspeth) Lundie, a daughter of Robert Lundie 5th of Balgonie. Elizabeth died before the 10th June 1601. William died on the 13th April 1600. He had at least seven children by both wives.
His eldest son, John succeeded him.
His second son, Sir James Lundie, after the early death of his brother John tried to take Lundie from his nephews. Sir James was ultimately unsucessful in this matter.
His eldest son by his second marriage, held the estates of Newhall and Auchtermairnie. Robert died without issue, and these estates passed to his younger brother David, founding the cadet of Lundy Lundie, Lundin of Auchtermairnie.
