The Royal Yacht Britannia

The most famous ship in the world, the Royal Yacht Britannia was launched at John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank on the 16th April 1953.

She has served the British Royal Family for over 40 years, clocking up more than one million miles around the globe, including Royal Family holidays and more than 900 official voyages.

Britannia has carried on a tradition of Royal Yachts, dating as far back as 300 years to the reign of Charles II.

Moored at Leith, a short bus ride from the centre of Edinburgh, and with the airport less than 30 minutes away, this magnificent ship has been host to some of the worlds most famous people.

The Royal Yacht Britannia, recommended by BBC News as "Scotland's leading visitor-friendly attraction", is a must-see when in Edinburgh.

Britannia was originally intended to serve as a mobile refuge for the Royal Family in the event of nuclear warfare with the Soviet Union, but Britannia is now the most popular of Leith's attractions.

In addition to her official duties She was used to promote British industry abroad, and four Royal couples have honeymooned on board, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana. When none of the royal family were on board, the jack and ensign were worn in the normal fashion.

The Royal Yacht Britannia has sailed all over the world, from the South Seas to Antarctica. Her 4,000 tons was designed so that she could be converted into a hospital ship if that became necessary.

Decommissioned in 1997, when The Queen decided that no other Royal Yacht would replace Her, corporate guests can now enjoy sampling fine cuisine from her fully-functioning galleys. After fierce competition from other cities in the UK, Edinburgh was successful in her bid to be Her new home, and She is now Scotland's seventh most popular paid-for tourist attraction.

Guests are piped aboard via the Royal Brow and taken on a personal tour, then welcomed into the State Apartments where they can enjoy cocktails and canapés. After dinner, guests can enjoy a talk by one of Britannia’s past Admirals, and evening events are hosted in the State Apartments, furnished with original items from the Royal Collection.

Your visit starts with a look around the Visitor Centre, located on the second floor of the Ocean Terminal. Here you will find photographs, exhibits and displays. Discover Britannia's fascinating past before collecting your audio handset and stepping on board, following in the footsteps of Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family.

The personal audio tour will lead you around the Yacht's five decks.

Starting at the Bridge and finishing in the Engine Room, you will get a glimpse of not only the British Royal Family life, but also the reality of life and work on board. You can also view the royal bedrooms, but not enter them as the yacht's new owners consider that such access would be "inappropriate".

Your tour ends in the Engine Room, spectacular and gleaming as it has always been. After your tour, you can visit the Royal Yacht Britannia shop where you will find a fine selection of exclusive gifts.

To get the best from your Royal Yacht Britannia tour I would recommend you allow at least two hours. A fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the Royal family, this is now one of Edinburgh's most popular attractions.

Opening Times & Admission Prices

November - March 10.00-3.30pm

April - June 10.00-4pm

July - September 9.30-4.30pm

October 10.00-4pm

Adults £10.50

Senior Citizen £9

Children (aged 5-17) £6.75

Family of 2 adults & up to 3 children £31

Students (ID) & Armed Forces £9

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, with one of Europe's great civic art collections is Scotland’s number 1 visitor attraction.

With FREE entry and over 8,000 objects on display, a visit to Glasgow is just not complete without making a point of seeing this superb art gallery & museum.

Kelvingrove reopened its doors in 2006 following a £28M restoration project. It really is a great day out, and even before you enter the museum, you can take a walk in the surroundings of Kelvingrove Park with its 85 acres of beautiful, picturesque grounds.

The magnificent Victorian red sandstone building is one of Glasgow's most famous landmarks. Proudly holding the reputation of being Glasgow's most loved building, it is a major attraction to both city residents and tourists from all over the world, and is the most visited museum in the UK outside the city of London. This impressive building is the main museum in the city, and it houses amongst other things, a vast collection of paintings and sculptures, early firearms, Scottish arms and armour, medieval swords, crossbows, duelling weapons, silver, ceramics, clothing and furniture.

Viewing the the full collection will let you see everything from decorative arts to the natural world and archaeology, from 300-million-year-old fossils to marine life, and a natural history department. Glasgow's famous son, Charles Rennie MacKintosh is also represented here, and you can see a major collection of his work which is on permanent display.

There is also a fantastic art collection including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet, Turner and Whistler.

One of the gallery's most famous paintings, Salvador Dali's "Christ of St John of the Cross" is on display in the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life, beside Glasgow Cathedral.

On the first floor are new education focused facilities like the History Discovery Centre, the Study Centre, and the Multimedia Object Cinema. The exhibition halls concentrate on Natural History/Zoology, Archaeology, History and Fine Arts. The shops in the Kelvingrove area sell a selection of products inspired by the collections.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has a range of facilities you'd expect from a world class museum, and is the highlight of any trip to Glasgow. The Gallery is available to hire for corporate and private events, there is wheelchair access and a lift to the main galleries, disabled toilets, and some staff have been trained in basic British Sign Language. Photography and filming for personal use is allowed, but you have to get a permission form. Flash photography and tripods are not permitted.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has the reputation of being Scotland’s most popular free visitor attraction, which is fully justified, because a fabulous day out for the whole family is guaranteed.