Gale-force winds and heavy rain brought chaos to the north today as disruptions brought services to a standstill.
Dozens of direct rail services travelling from Inverness to the central belt along on the Highland Main Line were suspended by Scotrail due to severe flooding between Pitlochry and Dunkeld in Perthshire.
All services were terminated between Pitlochry and Perth for the majority of the day, with replacement buses.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We closed the line as a precaution as high river levels in the Tay near Dalguise could potentially damage the foundations of one of our bridges over the river. Our engineers are on site monitoring the water levels.”
As high winds battered the north, Calmac cancelled numerous crossings servicing Mallaig to Armadale and Oban to Castlebay.
Meanwhile, passengers seeking to make the 30 mile crossing from Uig in Skye to Tarbet suspensions and delays.
A CalMac spokesman said: “Weather at this time of year can be a challenge and the forecast for the next few days means disruption is very possible. Passengers should leave plenty of time for their journey and check on the status of their sailing through the website or at our twitter feed before setting out.”
Orkney residents were also bearing the brunt of the terrible weather as Orkney Ferry services departing from Kirkwall to Papa Westray, Shapinsay and Stronsay were also suspended.
The disruption came as Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued numerous flood warnings for areas across the north including, Churchill Barriers in Orkney, Kingussie to Kincraig, Newtonmore and Spey Dam as well as Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City.
Countesswells car park in Aberdeen was forced to close after high winds sparked concerns for public safety.
With trees at risk of blowing over, the facility was closed as a precaution with operators hopeful the facility can be re-opened in the coming days.
Also, a lorry was pulled over on the A92 at Muchalls between Stonehaven and Newtonhill after high winds tore its roof off around noon yesterday. Motorists reported seeing detached metal “flapping in the wind”.
Meanwhile, blustering winds left six HGV lorries overturned onboard a P&O ferry docked at Cairnryan port around 7.30am, sparking a major response from emergency services.
No-one was reported to have been injured in the incident, which left several cars crushed.
