Parts of Scotland have been rocked by an earthquake in the Highlands. The earthquake, measuring 2.1ML on the Richter scale, at a depth of five miles, strick in Morvern just before 3.30pm yesterday.
It was felt by islanders on Lismore, Inner Hebrides, and by villagers in Mallaig and Morar, Highlands. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, The British Geological Survey said: “BGS received reports from residents on the Isle of Lismore of this event being felt.
“Reports described, ‘a loud rumbling sound’. We also received reports from residents in Mallaig & Morar of this event. The reports described, “a loud rumbling sound” & “felt a weak trembling”.
“Since October 10, Morvern has been hit by 10 earthquakes. On December 3, a quake measuring 1.1ML was recorded, and all the previous ones were smaller.”
Even though there are multiple small tremors in the UK every year, very few are noticeable. The most powerful ever recorded damaged Lincoln Cathedral in 1185, and had been placed at VII (damaging) on the European macroeseismic scale.
North of the border, a quake on September 7, 1801 measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale resulted in the deaths of wo farmworkers in village of Comrie when part of a barn collapsed.
Also in Comrie, a 4.8-magnitude quake was felt across most of Scotland on October 23, 1839. The largest ever quake recorded in Scotland, magnitude 5.2, was in Argyll on November 28, 1880.
