Accessible Royal Yacht Britannia Edinburgh
Accessibility :
Wheelchair Accessible (via an external lift),
Wheelchair Accessible Toilet,
Wheelchair Accessible “Royal Deck Tea Room” (max wheelchair width 670mm)
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For details of other wheelchair accessible attractions, accessible events, and wheelchair-friendly eating and drinking options throughout the UK, see The Access Map 2024
Accessible Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
The Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh was voted “Best UK Attraction” by Which? Magazine readers.
The Royal Yacht Britannia has also been classed as Category 1 (the highest level of category for wheelchair access without assistance) by VisitScotland.
Thanks to a dockside lift tower, all deck levels of the Royal Yacht Britannia are wheelchair accessible (it’s very unusual that even more than just one deck of a ship is accessible to wheelchair users, so the operators of the Royal Yacht Britannia deserve some serious praise for enabling wheelchair access to all decks).
The only place that has a width restriction is the Royal Deck Tea Room. Simply because it is accessed by the Royal Yacht Britannia’s original onboard lift (and this lift can only accept wheelchairs which have a maximum width of 670mm). If your wheelchair is wider than this, there are 5 manual wheelchairs available to borrow.
Tours of the Royal Yacht Britannia last around 1.5-2 hours, but allow longer if visiting the Royal Deck Tea Room.
Accessible Parking at the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
The nearest dedicated parking for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments is
on Level E of the Blue Car Park in Ocean Terminal. There are 18 Blue Badge/accessible parking bays on Level E (there are also more accessible parking spaces available on other levels too, but Level E allows the easiest access to the Royal Yacht Britannia Visitor Centre within the Ocean Terminal building). There are also 5 on-street Blue Badge/accessible parking bays on Ocean Drive (there is a dropped kerb here too).
Parking is free in both the Ocean Terminal car park, and on Ocean Drive too.
There is also a drop-off point immediately in front of the Ocean Terminal entrance lift. The entrance here is completely level, and there is a dropped kerb between the drop-off point and the wheelchair accessible lift.
Getting to the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh using Public Transport
Train:
The nearest train station to the Royal Yacht Britannia is Edinburgh Waverley train station (some 2.3 miles away). A wheelchair accessible taxi from there to the Ocean Terminal in Leith (where the Royal Yacht Britannia is berthed) will take around 20 minutes.
Tram:
Now that the tram line between the centre of Edinburgh and the Ocean Terminal in Leith has been completed, the wonderfully-accessible tram is by far the easiest way to get to the Royal Yacht Britannia from central Edinburgh.
You simply buy a ticket from the machine on the platform; vaildate your ticket on the special validation machine omn the platform before you board; then simply roll on to the actual tram.
The tram stops directly outside the Ocean Terminal in Leith; and the visitor’s entrance to the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Bus:
Lothian Bus number 11 stops at Ocean Terminal (for the Royal Yacht Britannia). All Lothian buses are wheelchair accessible, are fitted with a retractable wheelchair ramp, and have a dedicated wheelchair space.
The bus stop at Ocean Terminal is 25-50 level metres from the building entrance (depending on which bus stop you arrive at).
Taxi:
A taxi between central Edinburgh and Ocean Terminal in Leith (for the Royal Yacht Britannia) should take no longer than 20 minutes.
There is a taxi drop-off point immediately in front of the Ocean Terminal/Royal Yacht Britannia entrance lift. The entrance here is completely level, and there is a dropped kerb between the drop-off point and the wheelchair accessible lift.
The Royal Yacht Britannia operator’s preferred wheelchair accessible taxi supplier is Central Taxis (call +44[0]131 229 2468). All Central Taxis vehicles are wheelchair accessible.
Access - Entrance to the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
The Royal Yacht Britannia Visitors Centre and ticket desk is located on Floor 2 of the Ocean Terminal building.
There is additional seating here too.
Accessible Toilets at the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
There are wheelchair accessible toilets on all levels of the Royal Yacht Britannia (with the exception of Level 3 – the Bridge).
There is also a wheelchair accessible toilet in the Royal Yacht Britannia Visitor Centre within the Ocean Terminal building.
Accessible Cafe/Restaurant at the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
As it is accessed by the Royal Yacht Britannia’s original onboard lift, the Royal Deck Tea Room can only be accessed by wheelchairs which have a maximum width of 670mm. If your wheelchair is wider than this, there are 5 manual wheelchairs available to borrow.
Please note: You must purchase a Britannia admission ticket to visit the Royal Deck Tea Room and reservations are not possible (tables are allocated on a “first come, first served” basis).
More....
For details of other accessible visitor attractions, accessible events, and accessible eating and drinking options, see The Access Map 2024
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Thank you – and happy travels!
Royal Yacht Britannia News
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Photo credit: Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh