Gillies loved to paint dramatic Highland landscapes, particularly the area around Ardnamurchan, Morar and the Kyle of Lochalsh where he made regular trips throughout the 1930s. Following the death of his beloved sister Emma in 1935 and with the threat of war looming, Gillies’s landscapes became increasingly emotional and expressive. In this painting, the dark, watery sky threatens imminent rain, contrasting with the lighter colours and relaxed mood of the figures in the foreground, who are the artist’s mother, Aunt Margaret and sister Jenny. Gillies said of this painting; ‘The mood of this one I like. There is a fine threat in the landscape’.