The Royal Yacht Britannia

Having visited the Royal Yacht Britannia on several occasions I have always found it to be among the most welcoming and accessible of Edinburgh's attractions. Sadly, the necessary but temporary moving of the visitor centre and the alternative means of getting to the vessel have reduced accessibility and made the visitor welcome less of an impact. The building works in the adjacent shopping centre and the upcoming development of a new visitor centre will change this but for the time being there is work to be done to improve the experience.

Britannia was the British royal family's yacht from 1953 until its decommissioning in 1997. It is now moored at Ocean Terminal, Leith Docks in Edinburgh. It's easy to get to by public transport and getting round the ship is very easy to get round and accessible. It makes a fascinating day out. I loved it.

Needless to say that as it is an old lady of the sea the doorways and some of the turns are very tight. They do have some wheelchairs there that you can swap over to for the tour. If in doubt ask them to measure your chair so as to save getting stuck going around. The tour is explained to you via a telephone shaped device that explains where you are and a bit of in depth information about that part of the yacht. There is a tearoom about half way around but as my friends and I never went in due to the length of the queue I can't comment on it. It is an interesting tour, if you want like that sort of thing, consisting of a lot of looking and listening. I would not recommend this tour for anyone who is concidering walking around who has mobility problems. It is a long walk and I spent a lot of time looking for somewhere to sit and rest. Her Majesty has a lot of furniture with nice soft arms on them. I will say that I enjoyed the tour being ex-forces and having heard lots of stories about the yacht.