The alert for wind is one of two new warnings issued. Heavy rain is also being forecast on Saturday, with the gales on Sunday into Christmas Day.
Traffic is moving again following an earlier closure caused by a lorry fire south of Blair Atholl.
The Met Office is forecasting up to 15cm in parts of the Highlands overnight Friday into Saturday as people prepare to travel for Christmas.
The incident occurred between Blair Atholl and Killiecrankie, with Traffic Scotland warning that the road is disrupted in both directions.
Services will be suspended on Thursday on the Far North and Kyle lines, as well as between Inverness and Inverurie.
The forecaster is predicting wintry showers and colder temperatures in the north as this weekend gives way to Christmas Day.
Sofas and other upholstered furniture will soon no longer be accepted from early in the new year
Highland rail passengers have been warned to expect possible disruption after speed restrictions were announced following an amber weather alert.
Torrential rain could bring up to 200mm of precipitation this weekend and may trigger landslides, the Met Office has warned.
Some of the annual passenger numbers are barely reaching three digits
Police have urged Highland residents to be on the alert after the force received reports from locals who had received scam callers.
As much as 175mm of rain could fall in places this weekend, the Met Office has warned after it issued a yellow alert for large areas of the Highlands.
Transport chiefs have 'egg on their face' after publishing a document about updates on the A9 dualling programme that is already out of date.
The Highlands is one of Scotland's worst hot-spots for drink-driving, new data has revealed as police gear up for their annual festive crackdown.
Temperatures in the Highlands fell well below freezing overnight , with the mercury bottoming out at -18C near the A9 in the Cairngorms National Park.
Warnings for snow have been issued for large swathes of the Highlands – especially in the east – with up to 10cm possible in hilly spots
Highland residents were waking up to what is likely to have been the coldest night of the winter so far after the mercury plummeted as low as -15C.
Airline passengers travelling from city's airport to one of Europe's main hub airports facing disruption
The Inverness native will be playing Groundskeeper Willie's new Scottish love interest in an episode due to air this weekend.
Students given platform to share their own ambitions for fairer and more sustainable world