A small earthquake struck the Scottish Highlands in the early hours of Tuesday, waking residents who reported a sensation similar to an underground explosion. The seismic event, recorded as a local magnitude (ML) of 2.5 on the Richter scale, occurred near Spean Bridge at a depth of 5km (3.1 miles).
Reports from residents
The British Geological Survey (BGS) received multiple reports from people in Roybridge, Inverlair, Fort William and surrounding villages. One resident described a "deep rumble of about five seconds" that woke them and their spouse. Another said they were "woken from sleep to rattling in room from crystals rolling in a tray." A third person likened the event to "a small explosion underground." In Fort William, a resident on the fourth floor of a concrete building reported being woken by a "deep, loud rumble."
Seismologist's assessment
The earthquake struck at 3:09am on Tuesday. Davie Galloway, a BGS earthquake seismologist, noted that it was felt approximately 20km (12.5 miles) from the epicentre. He said: "This is the largest event in the region, within 20 km, since the magnitude 2.7 ML Fort William earthquake on April 22 2023, which was felt with intensities of at least four EMS (European Macroseismic Scale) in Spean Bridge and the surrounding area." Galloway added that historically, the largest nearby quake was a magnitude 4.5 ML West Scotland earthquake on April 23 1817, which was felt over a large part of Scotland.
Geological context
Although the UK is not on a major tectonic plate boundary, minor earthquakes are relatively common. The Highlands are criss-crossed by ancient fault networks, including the Great Glen Fault—a major fracture line running past Fort William and Spean Bridge and through Loch Ness. Geologists attribute many Scottish tremors to "glacial rebound," where the land slowly rises after being compressed by Ice Age glaciers, placing stress on old fault lines.
The BGS reportedly detects between 200 and 300 earthquakes across the UK each year, though only about 20 to 30 are strong enough to be felt.
