Wake up, step out and see the spot where a secret wartime project was developed and tested. Ravenspoint Hostel sits on the shores of Loch Erisort on the island of Lewis, where ‘The Chariot’ , a manned torpedo allowing divers to be carried underwater and closer to their target was tested. A half-size replica sits outside Ravenspoint Hostel , overlooking the site, commemorating the Charioteers.
The Ravenspoint Centre was once the Kershader village school , and the Hostel building, the headteachers home. In 1942 and 1943 the Charioteers project was based in the building and in the village on the opposite shore. These manned torpedos allowed divers to be carried underwater by a self-propelling tube , the warhead would detach to be detonated by timer, while the divers, known as the Charioteers, made their way back to the mother submarine. Local people played their part by keeping quiet, but now with the help of Pairc Historical Society , during your stay you can find out what was going on. Private rooms and shared bunk rooms are available this summer, giving you a front-row seat on this fascinating chapter of wartime history.
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