Residents of Perthshire, Scotland, woke to an unexpected and startling event on Monday morning, October 20, 2025, as a series of three earthquakes rippled across the region within just 17 minutes. The most significant of these, a 3.3 magnitude tremor, struck at around 7:25 AM, with its epicentre pinpointed in Pubil, Glen Lyon, at a shallow depth of approximately 3 kilometers beneath the surface, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).
The initial quake was followed closely by two smaller aftershocks—a 1.4 magnitude tremor at 7:31 AM and a 1.2 magnitude event just 11 minutes later—leaving locals and holidaymakers alike bewildered and, in many cases, alarmed. Reports of the shaking poured in from across Perthshire, with the Volcano Discovery website alone logging over 130 witness accounts, some from nearly 50 miles away. The BGS, which monitors seismic activity throughout the UK, confirmed that the tremors were felt in Callander, Tyndrum, Grandtully, Bridge of Orchy, Aberfeldy, Killin, and Pitlochry, as well as several other villages within a 60-kilometer radius of the epicentre.
For many, the morning’s events were not just a minor curiosity but a genuine shock. Lisa Stewart, a pharmacy assistant from Auchlyne, recounted to The Scottish Sun how she feared her old farmhouse was about to collapse as she got her children ready for school. "It sounded like some sort of explosion. We live in an old farmhouse and could visibly see the walls shaking. I thought the whole top floor was ready to collapse. I made sure my kids were safe and ran upstairs to see if I could see anything. I didn’t have any explanation for it – we all got a bit of a fright. I couldn’t believe it when I discovered it was an earthquake – you just don’t imagine that type of thing happening here."
Others described the experience in equally vivid terms. One Crieff resident told the Volcano Discovery website, "House shuddered accompanied by low rumbling sound for two, three second tremors separated by about one second. Something fell over in the loft and a small round garden lamp fell off a window sill." Meanwhile, a Pitlochry resident living in a static caravan said, "I experienced up and down movement, it was like a giant walking past our van." Another local, Gillian Lawrence, owner of the Kula café, was so confused by the rattling of her shower screen that she initially blamed her washing machine. "I was so confused. My mum texted me later and asked if I’d felt the earthquake and I couldn’t believe it."
Holidaymakers at Loch Tay Highland Lodges were also caught off guard. Joanne Barrie, the site manager, told The Scotsman, "An earthquake isn't something you expect when you come on holiday to Scotland but will certainly be a holiday our guests won't forget. It was a bit odd with the floor rumbling and doors rattling in reception and the lodges, but everyone was fine and there’s been no damage. Our team quickly checked around the site to make sure everything was safe and secure, and it was business as usual soon after. The setting here is usually so calm and peaceful, so it definitely took us all by surprise."
For some, the tremors were reminiscent of more familiar phenomena—a passing train, a lorry, or even a neighbor’s loud car. Tamzin MacDonald, a Killin resident, said, "My next door neighbour has a really loud car, so I just thought it was that starting up. It was only when I came into work that I realised it was an earthquake. Everyone is chatting about it. It’s very surreal." Fiona Davidson, who runs the local post office, described, "I was trying to get ready for work as the room was shaking. It must have lasted for about 10 seconds, but felt longer. It’s a shock for everyone because it’s so unexpected."
Despite the dramatic accounts, there were no reports of injuries or significant damage. The BGS, which detects between 200 and 300 earthquakes annually in the UK (with only about a tenth felt by people), emphasized that such events are rare but not unprecedented in Scotland. Davie Galloway, a seismologist at the BGS, confirmed, "On Monday 20 October at 08.25 BST, there was a magnitude 3.3 ML earthquake near Pubil, Perth and Kinross. It was reported felt in Aberfeldy, Killin, Pitlochry, Tyndrum and several other places, mainly from within around 60km of the epicentre. Reports described, ‘we thought a large lorry had crashed’, ‘loud rumbling noise’, ‘a prolonged low rumble’ and ‘the house shook and the windows rattled’." Galloway encouraged residents to submit felt reports to help scientists better understand the event.
Earthquakes in Scotland, while often mild, have a fascinating geological explanation. According to The Scotsman and The Scottish Sun, most are attributed to a phenomenon known as glacial rebound. Around 10,500 years ago, much of northern Britain was buried beneath a thick sheet of ice. When the ice melted, the land—previously compressed by the immense weight—began to slowly rise, a process that continues today and occasionally triggers seismic activity. In addition, the UK is subject to tectonic stresses from the expansion of the Atlantic Ocean, which pushes Eurasia eastward, and the northward movement of Africa pressing into Europe from the south.
Historically, Scotland has experienced over 4,000 earthquakes in the past 50 years, though most have gone unnoticed. The largest recorded Scottish earthquake struck near Loch Awe in 1880, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale and felt as far east as Perthshire. The most damaging earthquake in the UK’s history occurred in Colchester in 1884, causing extensive property damage but, thankfully, no fatalities.
Monday’s tremors, while startling, were a reminder of the earth’s dynamic nature—even in places considered geologically quiet. For many in Perthshire, the event was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, sparking conversations from breakfast tables to local shops and social media feeds. As one resident put it, "You don’t expect them to happen locally." But as the BGS and scientists remind us, the ground beneath our feet is never truly still—and sometimes, it has a story to tell.