A 2.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Roybridge in the Scottish Highlands on Friday evening, marking the second tremor in Scotland in less than a week. The British Geological Survey (BGS) recorded the quake at 9:30pm, with a depth of 7.5km.
Seismologist Glenn Ford described the earthquake as 'absolutely tiny' compared to global events, but noted its rarity in the UK. 'We only perhaps get about 15 earthquakes a year of this size or greater, so it's quite unusual,' he said. Ford added that approximately 90% of UK earthquakes are too small to be felt.
Residents reported hearing a loud rumble similar to a train. Iain MacDonald, staying in the village, said: 'It was really quite loud, like a train rumbling past the house.' Michael Sillars also likened the tremor to a passing train, saying he 'heard a big rumble and the house shook.'
The earthquake follows a 3.1 magnitude tremor near Lochgilphead on Tuesday, which was felt by over 30 people as far as Edinburgh and Northern Ireland. That quake had a depth of 10km.
Ford attributed the perceptibility of Friday's tremor to its remote location and the time of day, when people are still and less likely to attribute the sensation to traffic noise.
