Scotland recorded the UK’s most powerful onshore earthquakes of 2025, according to new data from the British Geological Survey (BGS). The pair of tremors struck hours apart on 20 October near Loch Lyon in Perth and Kinross, registering magnitudes of 3.7 and 3.6.
The quakes were felt by nearly 200 people, some as far as 60km away. Residents described the experience as “like an underground subway” running beneath their homes, with others reporting houses shaking and windows rattling.
Over the past year, seismologists logged 309 earthquakes across the UK up to 18 December – with seven of the strongest taking place in Scotland. Figures show that Perthshire and the western Highlands were among the most seismically active regions, with 34 quakes detected around Loch Lyon between October and December alone.
Dr Brian Baptie, a seismologist at the BGS, said it was unsurprising that the region tops the list, given its position along the Highland Boundary Fault. The geological feature stretches from Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute to Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire.
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“The west of Scotland is one of the more active parts of the UK,” said Dr Baptie. “Some of this activity can be attributed to well-known geological faults like the Great Glen Fault and the Highland Boundary Fault. It is a reminder that small earthquakes happen all the time and it remains of critical importance that they are studied to help us understand the possible impact of the rare large earthquakes on major energy and infrastructure projects around the country.”
Elsewhere in the UK, the third-largest onshore earthquake of 2025 struck Silverdale in Lancashire on 3 December. The 3.2-magnitude event prompted nearly 700 people to report feeling tremors.
According to the BGS, a magnitude-four earthquake typically occurs somewhere in or around the UK every three to four years, while magnitude-five events happen only once every few decades. The last such event hit Lincolnshire in 2008, and magnitude-six earthquakes are expected just once every few hundred years.
