Arran braces itself for Storm Eowyn's arrival

In exposed villages across the island residents endured a night of howling winds which started shortly after midnight and which are expected to worsen as the day progresses.

The island is directly in the central belt where forecasters expect winds of over 100mph to strike.

The potentially destructive high winds resulted in the Met Office issuing a rare Red Alert and the Scottish Government issued a siren phone alert warning people to stay safe.

Most people have heeded the warnings, with just a few dog walkers and emergency vehicles seen on the streets in the village of Brodick this morning.

Storm Eowyn has been described by some as the “storm of the century” with the Met Office warning of disruptive winds as well as heavy rain and snow.

Across Arran many businesses have shut for the day amid concerns for staff, especially those that need to travel, and owing to treacherous road conditions. Doctors surgeries have also closed for this reason and Arran Medical Group will only be operating an “emergency service” today.

Public transport has also been put on hold with all mainland Scotrail train services and all CalMac sailings cancelled for the day.

Storm Eowyn is expected to intensify over the following few hours, reaching a peak around 2pm before gradually abating towards the evening.