Tobermory is a small town situated on the northern coastline of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The name means ‘Well of Mary’ in Gaelic. The town of Tobermory was established during the 1780s as a fishing town and was a relatively new town when Wilson visited. The town, like Wilson’s career, benefitted from its royal association following Queen Victoria’s visit there in 1847 and attracted tourists eager to tread in the footsteps of the queen during their own tour of the Western Isles. Wilson saw the commercial potential for making photographs of places visited by members of the royal family and increasing numbers of the public.

Tobermory’s main street forms the backdrop to many of Wilson’s views of the town. Typically, these views were taken from the Sound of Mull, where Queen Victoria first glimpsed the town in 1847. Once the hillside facing the bay was excavated to create room for buildings, the High Street was constructed. As the town grew, further buildings were built on the top of the hill overlooking Tobermory Bay. In 1864, a new pier was constructed to accommodate the larger steamships carrying the increasing numbers of visitors into Tobermory.