All Aboard the Britannia

Who would have thought we would be walking through a shopping mall to see a former British Royal Yacht? For context, today we are visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia; according to their website, the yacht was launched in 1953, and was in use for over 44 years as the British Royal Family visited over 100 countries on it, as well as used it for an annual vacation here and there. As we pass by the ticket counter, I am surprised by the plethora of information explaining how this yacht was integral to the British Royal Family for political, diplomatic, and family events. While royal yachts are no longer in fashion for diplomatic missions, especially with advancements in other modes of transportation, I am intrigued to learn more about how this ship was designed and constructed for a multitude of uses.

Now, before we enter the yacht, we are given handheld audio guides which look more like a landline phone but twice the size. Despite my worrying if it will fall off my wrist and into the water, I am quite glad we have these as in the bridge of the ship, I am not sure where to truly start. I will admit, I am not a boat person, so the parts and workings of a ship are a bit unfamilair to me despite what I see in pirate and war movies. Thankfully, the audio guide (along with numbers on the ship) is a spectacular help as it explains what I am looking at, the importance of each space, and guides me where to step next. However, I do take pauses here and there for the sea breeze to hit my face and to study the different flags.

To best explore the ship, we start at the top deck, then slowly work our way down level by level. The captain’s quarters and officers’ spaces are quite nice and luxurious. Compared to a military ship, the humour of the former crew is very apparent here with a wooden monkey stuck behind the bar, and a bear with an eyepatch waiting for visitors on the ceiling fan. Also, the current keepers of the yacht must have had fun putting dozens of stuffed animal corgis throughout the ship. The presence of the corgis adds to the atmosphere, as this was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite dog breed.

Interesting enough, while the ship is no longer in use as a moving vessel, the ship is continually worked on and utilised for other events. On the main deck, we can see men painting and retouching the exterior of the yacht. This explains why no matter the weather, the yacht looks immaculate from every angle. Apparently, the current crew works 363 days of the year maintaining the yacht to its current glory. With regards to its current uses, besides a floating museum, there is a fudge shop in one of the lower decks! Of course we had to try some of the fudge - I picked out a decadent multi-layer chocolate piece. This piece of fudge serves as a fantastic burst of sugar as we continue our tour through the Britannia.

As we make our way through the royal apartments and other rooms used by the British Royal Family, I am caught off guard by how much the yacht feels like a home - a home on land I mean. The dining room, filled with treasured gifts from around the world, makes me feel as if we are in a mansion due to the sheer size of the room. Well, if the mansion was on a slight tilt. We learn on the audio guide that Queen Elizabeth II wanted the Britannia to feel more like a floating cottage, which makes sense given the view of the cozy living room. Games are scattered all about, a fireplace is ahead of us, and even a piano is bolted to the ground. All we could need now is a cup of tea to make it even more homey… which we can do!

After we have walked through all the levels of the ship, and passed by the royal vehicles parked to the right beside the ship, we climb back up to the highest deck for afternoon tea. Paired with our teas, we pick out a light lunch and scones to fill us up before we leave Edinburgh. It is so peaceful up here, looking out to the waves lapping on Leith’s shore, listening to quiet classical music, and reflecting on our time in Scotland. Plus, the food is rather delicious (I chose the bell pepper soup). I was not expecting to be able to enjoy a lovely meal and a sweet treat all in one visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia.

As the afternoon winds down, we retrace our steps to the exit point of the ship, make our way through the gift shop, and then out through the Ocean Terminal Mall. I am delighted that we took up Anne and Roger’s suggestion to visit the Britannia. The best way I could explain this experience is to imagine visiting a house size version of Buckingham Palace, where the house happens to be tucked inside of a large boat. Hopefully, on our next visit to the UK, we can find another intriguing ship to explore and dive into.

With that, from one mode of transportation to another, we shall board an airplane and make our way to Ireland. Until next time.