Gales have disrupted ferries and flights in the north.
The highest – “yellow” – wind and snow warning was issued by forecasters for the whole of the Highlands and Islands for the whole of Wednesday.
Power firms were braced for powercuts and the Oban joint primary campus was an early casualty.
In Highland, Kilchoan Primary is closed and Sleat Nursery “partly closed” due to a lack of power.
Two Argyll and Bute primary schools were closed on Wednesday – Lismore due to the weather and Glassary Primary which suffered a powercut due to lines down.
Emergency services have braved the storm, with the Oban Lifeboat venturing out at 11am for a medical patient transfer.
KLM’s daily Inverness-Amsterdam flight was cancelled due to the strong wind.
Gales have battered the inner and outer Hebrides, with reports of fierce winds on Tiree and the Uists.
On CalMac, 25 of its 26 daily crossings are affected to some degree by the weather – 20 sailings cancelled.
Rough seas have also led to Orkney Ferries making various changes for Wednesday.
The afternoon return sailing to Eday/Sanday/Stronsay departing Kirkwall at 3.40pm.
The 4.20pm return sailing to Westray is cancelled.
The Eynhallow, Hoy Head and Graemsay are all operating normal schedules but are under review all day.
Due to the conditions all Northlink sailings on the Pentland Firth route were cancelled for the day.
In Highland, fencing was blown down at a private housing development under construction scattering debris across a nearby road.
Two trees were brought down at 6am at Edderton, on the A836 and on the Dornoch to Embo road. Both were cleared by 6.30am.