The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the quake which struck Glenfinnan had a magnitude of 3.4 on the Richter scale.
It has received about 50 reports from locals who felt it in Fort William, Glenfinnan, Ardgour, Strontian and Drumnadrochit in the Highlands.
Residents told BGS the quake sounded like "a train rumbling past" and "dogs also went mad barking and growling".
The quake, at 4.28am on Friday morning, lasted two to three seconds and was strong enough to make furniture shake and windows and crockery rattle.
Lesley Scott, 48, who lives in Glenfinnan, said: "It woke me up with a start.
"It was like a lorry crashing into your house and then you could feel the tremors going away in the ground and I could feel the house shaking. I got a fright."
John Fish, 63, felt the quake in Fort William.
He said: "It woke me up and I could hear everything rattling about in the bedroom.
"But I used to live in Papua New Guinea so I'm used to earthquakes."
BGS said the north west of Scotland was seismically active.
In January this year a quake of 2.3 magnitude struck near Loch Morar, about nine miles away from today's event.
There are about two quakes of 3.4 magnitude a year in the UK.
