The Royal Yacht Britannia

The Royal Yacht Britannia served the Royal Family for more than four decades and is now a major Edinburgh visitor attraction, welcoming more than 300,000 visitors a year, berthed permanently at Ocean Terminal in Leith. Queen Elizabeth II launched the ship at John Brown & Company on the Clyde on 16 April 1953, and she was commissioned in January 1954. In royal service Britannia made 696 foreign visits to 135 countries and steamed more than a million nautical miles before being decommissioned in December 1997. She is now run by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, a registered charity.

Visitors explore five decks, including the state apartments used for royal entertaining. The state dining room and drawing room show how official receptions were held at sea, and the Queen's bedroom can be seen behind a glass wall. The tour also takes in the working areas of the ship used by the crew. The on-board garage displays an early Land Rover, a retired Rolls-Royce Phantom V state car is parked on the wharf, and the clocks are stopped at 3.01, the time the Queen last disembarked.

An audio guide is included with every ticket and is available in 36 languages, with a junior version, British and American Sign Language tablets and Braille options. The tour is designed to be accessible, with lifts serving every deck. Visitors spend around two hours on board on average. The Royal Deck Tearoom serves scones, light meals and drinks with views across the waterfront, and a shop sells Britannia-themed gifts.

Opening hours vary by season: from April to October the ship opens at 9.30am with last entry at 4pm, and outside those months it opens at 10am with last entry at 3pm. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January. A standard ticket is for a set date and time and includes an annual pass for free return visits after you apply for it. Tickets are refundable up to 48 hours before your visit.

Getting there is straightforward: the tram runs to the Ocean Terminal stop, and Lothian bus routes 10, 16, 34 and 35 run from the city centre. Free parking is available in the Ocean Terminal multi-storey car park, which has a two-metre height limit. Britannia suits families, royal history fans and anyone interested in ships. Combine it with lunch in Leith, where the Shore has several well-regarded restaurants, including some of the city's seafood specialists.