After renting a cottage in the small fishing village of Catterline in 1954, Eardley divided her time between there and Glasgow. Her cottage can be seen at the far left of the painting, though by the time this work was painted she was using it as a studio and lived in a more comfortable house at the other end of the row. Perched on top of the hill and at the mercy of the elements, the cottages seem to be bracing themselves for a hard winter.