Magnitude 3.8 tremor in Moidart area is felt widely across west of Scotland

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The largest earthquake to be felt in the west Highlands of Scotland in more than 30 years was recorded on Friday.



The British Geological Survey (BGS) recorded the magnitude 3.8 tremor in the Moidart area just before 3.45pm. It was the biggest earthquake in the region since a magnitude 4.1 quake near Oban in September 1986, officials said.

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The BGS said the latest quake “was felt widely across the west of Scotland”.

One local resident tweeted: “Think I just experienced a minor #earthquake, here on Ardnamurchan. West coast #Scotland. Anyone else feel it, my kitchen rumbled.”

Another wrote: “Just experienced 2 earthquake tremors here in Scotland. Never felt anything like that, like the ground beneath us was exploding. Terrifying!”

In recent years, there was a magnitude 3.5 earthquake in Glenuig in January 2011.

Scotland’s largest earthquake was a magnitude 5.2 event in Argyll in 1880, the BGS said.