Schools were closed across the Western Isles and trains and ferries were cancelled as the third storm in two weeks battered Scotland with 85mph winds.
Storm Ingunn, named by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, was forecast to bring hurricane force winds and avalanches in Norway. It resulted in strong gusts over northern Scotland owing to a rapidly deepening area of low pressure, the Met Office said.
It is the third storm in two weeks to cause significant disruption north of the border, after Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn resulted in cancelled train services and school closures last week.
More than 40 train services were suspended on Wednesday morning out of concern for passenger safety.
Services between cities such as Dundee and Glasgow and Aberdeen to Edinburgh were cancelled while services linking Inverness to a number of northern towns were also withdrawn.
Speed restrictions have been put in place across much of the network and safety inspections were set to continue on sections of the track throughout the day.
All Western Isles schools and nurseries were closed for the day, while more than ten Highland council schools, mainly in Sutherland and Lochaber, also shut.
In Dundee, strong gusts caused a partial closure of the Tay Road Bridge after glass was blown out from a bus window. The bridge operator said a significant amount of glass had to be cleared from the road.
The ferry operator Calmac cancelled all departures on five of its routes on Wednesday, with many more services kept under review.
