Shock! Three earthquakes strike Perthshire – but no one notices

Three of the UK’s most recent recorded earthquakes have taken place in west Perthshire – but seismologists say there is nothing to worry about.

The events took place on October 29 and 31 and were noted by the British Geological Survey (BGS), though residents may not have been so attuned.

The quakes registered at 0.6, 1.2 and 1.1 on the Richter Scale. An event must register at least two to even be accounted “minor”.

As a result they will have passed unnoticed by residents, with the BGS saying there had been no reports.

Seismologist Davie Galloway said: “These are three of the most recent but that is not unusual at all.

“We are in the middle of the plates and so we don’t get the massive quakes you see elsewhere around the world.

“We record more than 200 a year across the UK and, like these in Perthshire, most will not even be felt.”

The three quakes were recorded in quick succession east of Finnart, near Loch Rannoch – with the first two within seconds shortly after 11am on October 29.

The third followed midafternoon on the 31st.

Mr Galloway said: “There were no reports of any of the three being felt and we do not expect any reports.

“To put it in context, some quarry blasts are bigger!”

“Perthshire is, of course, quite historically linked to earthquakes – after all Comrie is known as the Shaky Toun.

“The Victorians were recording hundreds of quakes a day and so they built Earthquake House to monitor them.

“Wouldn’t you know it, almost as soon as it was completed, they stopped!”