After Liverpool, Glasgow and its neighbouring harbour at Greenock became the most favoured location for Grimshaw's depictions of night scenes of the docks. The subject enabled him to depict the intricate rigging of the shipping, as well as the effect of light, bouncing off the wet couples from the illuminated shop fronts. Although some of the names of the shops are genuine, Grimshaw often liked to invent names for these. John Campbell, and Johnston, both typically Scottish names, can be discerned in the present picture.