Scotland earthquake: 3.1-magnitude tremor felt as far as Edinburgh

More than 30 people reported feeling tremors as far away as Edinburgh

The epicentre of the earthquake was near the town of Lochgilphead north west of Glasgow (Tim Graham/Getty Images)

A 3.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Scotland in the early hours of Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed.

Residents of western Scotland experienced tremors in the night after the earthquake occurred just before 2am with its epicentre some 11 miles north-west of the town of Lochgilphead, 88 miles north-west of Glasgow, according to USGS.

More than 30 people reported to the USGS that they had felt the tremor, with reports coming from as far as Edinburgh and Ballycastle in Northern Ireland.

The agency said the quake happened 10km below the Earth's surface.

Residents said their homes shook during the tremors in the middle of the night.

One resident wrote on social media: “Nothing like an earthquake to jolt you up. That’s the biggest one I’ve felt. Whole house shook.

They added: “I’m in Tarbert Argyll. I’ve never felt one that big, everything in my room shook.”

Another said: “Woken in the night by an almighty crash. Nothing obvious. Strange. Then hear I news just now - Earthquake just north of Lochgilphead!!! Argyll turning into California by the minute.”

Others said they were awoken by shaking and rattling felt across the region as far as Edinburgh.

Data from the British Geological Survey shows between 200 and 300 earthquakes are detected in the UK every year, with tremors of between 3.0 and 3.9 magnitude occurring on the mainland once every three years on average.

In September last year Leighton Buzzard residents were hit with three tremors in two weeks. Bedfordshire locals took to social media reporting their homes rattling amid the tremors that hit at 8.32am at a depth of 10km.