Today we headed to Ocean Terminal at Leith to see Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia. But first we stopped to see two Highland cows resting in the grass...last time I was in Scotland we searched for a highland cow for the whole time I was here and only saw one miles away from home! Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of Queen Elizabeth II and it is now permanently moored as an exhibition ship at Leith. During her career as a Royal Yacht, Britannia conveyed the Queen, other members of the Royal Family and various dignitaries on 696 foreign visits and 272 visits in British waters. Before you even step on board, the Visitors Centre has displays and historical photographs of Britannia's fascinating past. The Britannia is a big boat and there is lots to see. We were given audio guides and off we went...first stop was the Bridge. The water surrounding the Britannia is a very dark brown/black colour which means it acts like a mirror and reflects the sky. I couldn't stop taking photos of the reflected sky in the water...it was amazing. The tour explores five decks of the ship and we saw the fabulous State Apartments and the Royal Bedrooms. This included the Queens bedroom and the Duke of Edinburgh's bedroom and the 'honeymoon' suite where Charles and Diana spent their honeymoon in 1981. The State Dining Room had displays of gifts which had been presented to the queen from various state visits. On board they have a NAAFI sweet shop and I got to sample the strawberry and cream flavoured fudge. The rooms the Royal family used were quite sumptuous and the rooms contain personal items that give you a glimpse into their private lives. I was surprised at the size of some of the rooms, including the large lounge room where they relaxed, played piano and board games etc...all with the butler on hand to meet all their needs! Conditions below deck for those working on the ship were not as grand...in fact their sleeping quarters and storage was quite cramped. On board was also a huge laundry (staff and 'royal' laundry were done on different days) and a sick bay that contained a fully functioning operating theatre!!!! The engine room was AMAZINGLY clean and sparkling and up on one of the decks was a retired Rolls-Royce Phantom V state car in a purpose built garage! It was unbelievable really. Then we went to the shop...which is always at the end of a tourist stop...and I bought a couple of things...including another christmas decoration! We also went for a wander through the other shops at Ocean Terminal before heading home.
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