More Than 300 Earthquakes Recorded Across The UK in 2025
More than 300 earthquakes have been detected across the UK this year, with parts of Scotland, northern England and Wales seeing the most activity, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).
Data covering the period up to 18th December shows 309 earthquakes were recorded in total, meaning the UK experienced seismic activity almost daily. The busiest areas included Perthshire and the western Highlands, southern Wales, and parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
The strongest onshore earthquakes of the year struck near Loch Lyon in Perth and Kinross on 20th October. A 3.7-magnitude tremor was followed just hours later by a 3.6-magnitude quake. The events were widely felt, triggering 198 reports from the public.
In total, 34 earthquakes were recorded near Loch Lyon between October and December. Dr Brian Baptie, a seismologist at the BGS, said: “The west of Scotland is one of the more active parts of the UK.” He explained that this is partly due to major geological features such as the Great Glen Fault and the Highland Boundary Fault, adding: “By contrast, North East Scotland experiences very few earthquakes.”
Northern England also saw noticeable tremors. The third-largest onshore quake this year was a magnitude-3.2 event near Silverdale in Lancashire on 3rd December, with around 700 people reporting feeling it. Smaller quakes were also recorded in West and North Yorkshire, including events near Pontefract and Litton.
Although hundreds of earthquakes were logged, only a small number were strong enough to be noticed by people. The BGS received 1,320 “felt reports” from members of the public in 2025. Most UK earthquakes are minor, and the country typically sees between 200 and 300 each year, with only around 20 to 30 being felt.
Dr Baptie said: “There were numerous events in Scotland, England and Wales that were each significant enough to be widely felt nearby.” He added: “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.”
The UK sits well within the Eurasian tectonic plate, far from plate boundaries, which limits the size of earthquakes compared with more active regions of the world. Even so, stronger events do happen occasionally. A magnitude-four earthquake is usually recorded every three to four years, while magnitude-five events occur every few decades. The last magnitude-five quake hit Lincolnshire in 2008.
The largest known UK earthquake took place in 1931 near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Measuring 6.1 in magnitude, it caused minor damage along parts of England’s east coast despite being far offshore.
