The United Kingdom experienced a series of seismic events recently when a popular hiking area known for its stunning landscapes was struck by three earthquakes within a short six-hour timeframe. These quakes have added to the growing number of tremors recorded in the country, which has seen over 60 earthquakes occur across various locations since the beginning of 2025, according to the British Geological Society (BGS).
The incidents occurred on the Schiehallion highland summit, a remote area often frequented by hikers and mountain bikers. The first earthquake was reported at 5.58am yesterday morning, registering 1.8 on the Richter Scale, and was felt by residents in nearby Invervar, Glenlyon. One local described the sensation, stating it "only lasted a couple of seconds and sounded like a badly installed washing machine kicking into fast spin cycle.” The earthquake was recorded at a depth of 3km.
Approximately five hours after the initial tremor, a second earthquake struck at 11.14am, registering just 0.6 on the Richter Scale and occurring at a depth of 4km. Notably, just two minutes later, a third quake was reported at a depth of 2km with a magnitude of 1.0.
These quakes come shortly after another minor earthquake recorded at Roshven, Highland, on 7 January, which registered 1.0 at a depth of 8km but did not impact populated areas. Additionally, six days prior to the most recent trio, the same vicinity of Schiehallion was affected by a 1.7 magnitude quake at 10.55pm, also reported at a depth of 3km. Witnesses noted that during this event, "roof tiles rattled" and a "loud rumbling" was experienced, with one commenting on the "extremely loud" intensity of the noise.
Reflecting on the pattern of increasing seismic activity, Roger Musson, a former Head of Seismic Hazard and Archives at the British Geological Society, spoke to the Daily Star regarding the phenomenon. He explained that seismic activity in the UK could be more frequent than previously understood, with a simple rule of thumb indicating that every decrease of one unit in magnitude typically leads to a tenfold increase in the number of occurrences. Thus, if the UK averages one earthquake of 3.5 magnitude annually, there would likely be around ten earthquakes of 2.5 and approximately 100 of 1.5, many of which remain undetected by the public but are recorded by scientific instruments.
The series of earthquakes in Schiehallion highlights the increasing geological activity within the UK, raising questions about the factors contributing to this trend.
Source: Noah Wire Services