George IV's visit to Scotland, the first since Charles II, was closely followed by artists, among them J.M.W. Turner, who was present. On his father's death in 1793 J.T. Serres succeeded Dominic as marine painter to George III but because of his marriage to Olivia Wilmot, the self-styled Princess Olive of Cumberland, he lost royal favour. In 1818 he fled to Edinburgh to escape his wife's creditors and was imprisoned.

This is one of a series of four watercolours by Serres of George IV's progress by sea from London to Edinburgh.