This was painted at the beach at Machrihanish in the summer of 1878, but the figures, which are painted over the sea behind them, may have been added later. McTaggart's earlier pictures had consisted of figurative groups with landscape backgrounds. Late in his life, his figures became so absorbed into their landscape settings that they are often invisible at first glance. This is a transitional work, with interest evenly balanced between the children and the setting of rocks and ocean.