Earthquake hits in the sea off Shetland

An earthquake has struck in the sea off Shetland.

The 2.8 magnitude tremor was recorded at 1.22pm on Saturday, according to the British Geological Survey.

The epicentre was around 100 miles east of Unst.

BGS seismologist Davie Galloway said it was not believed to have been near any oil or gas platform – and was unlikely to have caused any damage.

There have been a number of tremors over Scotland in the last few months as the Earth’s crust moves under pressure.

The largest known Scottish earthquake occurred near Loch Awe in 1880, with a magnitude of 5.2.

There are roughly 200-300 quakes in Britain every year, but the vast majority are so small that no one notices them.