Skye's Uig ferry port is set to close for six months in order to carry out essential repairs.
The pier will be out of order between October and next March, disrupting services to Harris and also North Uist in the Western Isles.
Uig provides Harris with its only direct route to the mainland, and one of two routes out of Uist.
Ferry operator CalMac will hold a series of events in early April in the communities affected to discuss how services could be maintained.
Local authority Highland Council stated the work was needed to replace parts of the pier that had come to the end of their life and to make improvements to the structure.
It said winter was a quieter time in terms of ferry traffic and the six months allowed for delays to the work caused by bad weather.
The council added that it would work closely with the contractor to try and reduce the length of time the pier was closed.
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