The Highlands is braced for torrential rain and flooding today as up to 8in is expected to fall in some areas of the region.
The Met Office issued an amber “be prepared” warning for rain in the Great Glen area and Loch Ness, predicting flooding at low levels.
Emergency services and government agencies issued their own cautions to travellers, advising that the vast amounts of water could cause serious problems on the roads.
Met Office spokeswoman Laura Young said: “The amber warning covers quite a small area although a wider yellow warning is in place for much of the western Highlands.
“We are expecting in excess of 6ins and possibly up to 8ins across the area.
“However, the Loch Ness area is of particular concern because of the possibility of widespread local flooding. This will simply down to the amount of rain falling in a relatively short period of time.
“There will be quite a quick river system and that is expected to lead to flooding issues at lower levels and there is a risk of travel disruption.
“Other areas of the Highlands will also see somewhere between 2ins and 4ins.
“The heaviest bursts will be on Saturday morning although the rain will be pretty persistent throughout.
“Sunday should be a better day, although it will be colder, as the rain will sink further south.”
Police warned the public to be vigilant. A spokesman said: “There are warnings of localised flooding along with surface water on roads with a strong possibility of disruption to public transport.”
Trunk roads authority Bear Scotland said its resources were prepared to assist in dealing with the rainfall.
Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland’s representative for the north west, said: “At present we are preparing for the forthcoming heavy rains across the north west and our teams are on stand-by to assist in whatever way possible to keep road users safe and moving.
“We would advise motorists to be alert and prepare in advance for the wet weather by checking travel information via the Traffic Scotland website and local radio before setting off, allowing extra time for journeys and making sure to drive to conditions.”
The adverse weather resulted in a number of ferries being cancelled yesterday including services to Barra, Eriskay, South Uist, Coll, Tiree, Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Raasay and the Small Isles. There was disruption on many more routes.
Ferry operator CalMac apologised for any inconvenience.