Where is Royal Yacht Britannia now?

THE Royal Yacht Britannia was the former royal yacht of the Queen from 1954 until 1997.

Now, it acts as a tourist attraction as its long-serving maritime days to Her Majesty are over.

Where is the Royal Yacht Britannia now?

The ship is permanently berthed in Leith docks which is just 15 minutes from Edinburgh city centre.

It is cared for by the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, a registered charity.

Its location was controversial because some thought the ship would be better brought to the Clyde where it was built.

But the redevelopment of disused parts of the Forth harbour and the advent of the Scottish Parliament meant the ship was brought to the Scots capital instead.

When was the Royal Yacht Britannia decommissioned?

By 1997 the ship, which had been launched in 1953, had become too costly to run.

When the new Labour government was elected in 1997 a replacement was not ordered.

After making one last voyage to Hong Kong to convey the colony’s last governor, Chris Patten, and the Prince of Wales for the territory's hand-over, the ship sailed back to Britain.

Here it was decommissioned in a ceremony during which the Queen shed a tear for her beloved yacht.

Can I visit the Royal Yacht Britannia?

Yes you can.

Some 300,000 visitors do annually.

It is berthed in Ocean Terminal in Leith docks and is open every day except Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

You can survey the whole ship and experience it just as countless world leaders have, including Sir Winston Churchill, Boris Yeltsin, Rajiv Gandhi, Nelson Mandela.

And you can even enjoy afternoon tea on board.

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