Schools in the Western Isles are all closed today with gales of up to 100mph poised to batter parts of the north and north-east well into Wednesday.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning to coastal routes and communities which could be particularly badly affected by the impact of Storm Brendan as large waves batter seafronts.
Many parts of the north and north-east will feel the blistering winds from noon today to midnight.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said the Cairngorms could witness winds of up to 100mph – and they could be even higher on the mountain tops.
The Western Isles is expected to experience gusts of up to 80mph and a flood alert has been issued with officials admitting there is a risk of “significant coastal flooding” in some places.
A number of public services will be affected, including the Bràighe which will be shut around today’s high tides at 8am and at 9pm due to high waves and strong southerly to southwesterly winds.
The council said: “There is a risk of significant coastal flooding on Monday and Tuesday.”
The ferry and bus services in the Western isles are likely to be disrupted and the public has been advised to avoid any journeys unless absolutely necessary.
Mr Petagna added: “Aberdeen will see up to 50mph to 60mph winds and it will be a little bit higher in the suburbs.
“The Highlands will feel some fairly windy gales developing which will be coming in from the west.”
The weather warning is in place until tomorrow midnight, but some gales are expected again on Wednesday morning and afternoon.
The yellow weather warnings are also in place for Northern Ireland and much of the western half of the UK.
Frank Saunders, of the Met Office, added that the other parts of the UK and Ireland will turn increasingly windy as the storm sweeps in.
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, he said: “It is going to stay very unsettled and there is the potential for further disruptive weather in places.”
