Royal Yacht Britannia

Situated outside of the city centre at Leith we took a taxi to the Ocean Terminal. 

We had already found that the Edinburgh taxis were very reasonably priced and all had a slide out ramp for entry with my son's wheelchair. This saved us lots of time and hassle especially as there was a taxi rank outside of the terminal for the return journey.

Entry was through a bland indoor shopping centre and lift. The admission costs were high (about £11) but well worth the money as there was so much to see. Carers get in free.

You are offered a free audio tour which was available in different languages. Other choices included a special audio handset in English for children and one for people with learning difficulties. They also had a printed version for the hearing impaired. 

It seemed like they had thought of everything!

We needn't have worried about accessibility as the route around the boat was well thought out and it was easy moving around. 

A special bonus was being able to use the Queen's lift as it was the only way to get down to the Restaurant. It was a bit of a squeeze - so manual wheelchairs only.

It was far more interesting than I ever imagined - the intricate details and authentic furniture really gave a feel for life on the boat. 

I think we spent about 2 hours looking around going around at our own pace. We were lucky that it wasn't busy - February is not a popular month!

The restaurant was superb and had a wonderful atmosphere - we could have sat there all day. The food was beautifully presented and the waiters so regal! 

They even managed to find me a gluten free scone!

An amazing experience - well worth the trip.

To find out more:

The Royal Yacht Britannia
Ocean Terminal
Leith
Edinburgh EH6 6JJ

Tel: 0131 555 5566

Website: www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk