Royal Yacht Britannia

Name: Royal Yacht Britannia
Item: Royal Yacht Britannia
Author: Andrew Samson

The Royal Yacht as she was known, was the last in a long line of yachts designed and built for the British monarch. Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, also known as the Royal Yacht Britannia, was the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded the English throne in 1660.

Retired from Royal service in 1997 as a cost cutting measure by the incoming Labour Government, Britannia is now permanently moored in Edinburgh (Scotland) as a museum ship.

Remarkably, over 300,000 people visit the ship every year. To protect her future as a national treasure, Britannia is now listed as part of the newly established National Historic Fleet.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is classed as a ‘must see’ visitor attraction in Edinburgh. This famous ship has been ranked consistently TripAdvisors UK Top Ten for the last 5 years and has been voted Scotland’s best visitor attraction by VisitScotland, for twelve years!

Interesting Facts

Launched in 1953, Britannia measures 412 feet in length (126 metres)
Classed as a Royal Residence, the Queen and the Royal Family used the yacht regularly for 40 years
Britannia sailed over 1,000,000 nautical miles during her time at sea
Famous people who have been entertained on the yacht, include Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Rajiv Gandhi
Weighing in at 5,768 tonnes, Britannia is similar in size to a modern day Royal Navy ‘Type 23’ frigate
Britannia had a crew of 21 officers and 250 ‘yachtsmen’ all from within the Royal Navy
One platoon of Royal Marines protected the Royal Family whenever they were on-board

Pricing

This is a very popular attraction so we advise you to book well in advance. Book online at or call +44(0)131 555 5566.

Adults: £16.00
Senior (60+): £14.00
Students (with ID): £14.00
Children (5-17): £8.50
Family (2 adults, 3 children): £45.00

Stay In Britain Tips

Parking is free when visiting the Royal Yacht so you don’t have to worry about having some loose change / cash to hand. Few people realise that a free audio handset tour is available in 30 different languages and also for children. English braille scripts and sign language tours via tablet are also available. Be sure to ask about these excellent free services when buying your tickets!

Royal Yacht Britannia

Login