CalMac warns against unnecessary travel in face of Storm Abigail

Ferry operator CalMac is urging travellers to think carefully about their plans for the end of this week if planning to visit the west coast.

Storm Abigail, the first storm to be officially named by the Met Office, is set to bring winds of up to 80mph to parts of Scotland on Thursday and Friday.

A yellow "be aware" warning has been issued for both days covering the Western and Northern Isles, Highlands and Argyll.

"There is clear warning that major weather related disruption to ferry services on the Clyde and Hebrides routes is likely later this week so I would urge people to factor this in when making travel plans," said CalMac's operations director, Drew Collier.

""The sea conditions we are expecting could well be too treacherous to sail in."

Storm Abigail is likely to bring gusts of 60 to 70mph, potentially rising to speeds of up to 80mph, producing waves up to 11 metres high.

The warning is currently in place from 18:00 on Thursday until 14:00 on Friday.

"As always weather systems change very quickly so I would urge the travelling public to check our website and our social media feeds for the very latest information, but disruption, including cancellation of services is likely if the forecasts are accurate," added Drew.

Latest information available at www.calmac.co.uk, CalMac app and @calmac_updates on twitter.