The Island

Ailsa Craig, also known as “The Island”, is a small island located in the Firth of Clyde, west of mainland Scotland. It is notable both as a highly profitable iron mine during WWII and its use by Nevrin as the location for a secretive underground installation known as the Girvan Offshore Science Facility (GOSF), which was in operation between 1975 and 1995.

Today, the island is a lost, almost mythical site. Raven enforces an aura of secrecy around the location in order to protect and contain the contents of the facility below. A cleanup initiative led by Raven, known as Operation Lighthouse, is ongoing, which aims to render the site safe.

History

Before its use in covert science, the island was operated as an iron mine and owned by a small Scottish company known as Richardson & Sons. After profitability of their operation declined, Nevrin established an agreement in secret with the company to fund their operation while allowing scientific personnel to begin construction of a vast research facility below the surface. The mining operation provided the perfect cover for this operation, and no authorities bat an eye at the increased amount of cargo shipments to and from the island during WWII, which through Nevrin’s funding became one of the most lucrative iron ore operations in Scotland.

Construction of the underground facility took approximately 35 years, and it was officially opened to personnel in 1975. After the war, Richardson & Sons was allowed to fade into obscurity, and Nevrin took complete control of the island. It was later abandoned in 1995 after the catastrophic Island Containment Breach, which resulted in its evacuation and Nevrin’s eventual collapse. Afterwards, it remained untouched for two decades until Küiser launched the Island Resurrection Project in an attempt to uncover its secrets.

Locations

The surface of the island includes several functional buildings, including the Lighthouse, the Foghorn, the Electric Shed, the Shack, and the Docks. The Mine Entrance was the main entry point to the facility below, beyond which personnel could transit down a large open shaft known as The Abyss. In order to preserve cover, personnel had dedicated accommodation areas within the facility, and did not transit to and from the entrance when mine personnel were working.