Wheelchair 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)

Further Info

Official Website

Official Access Guide

Euan’s Guide

Simply Emma Blog

Tripadvisor

More....

For details of other wheelchair accessible hotels, wheelchair-friendly eating and drinking options and wheelchair accessible attractions in Glasgow, see the Wheelchair Accessible Edinburgh Guide

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The Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh was voted “Best UK Attraction” by Which? Magazine.

The Royal Yacht Britannia has also been classed as Category 1 (the highest level of category for wheelchair access without assistance) by VisitScotland.

Arrival at the Royal Yacht Britannia by Car

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.

Arrival at the Royal Yacht Britannia by 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:

The tram line between the centre of Edinburgh and the Ocean Terminal in Leith will not be completed until the Spring of 2023 at the earliest.

Until then, public transport to the Royal Yacht Britannia is by bus (or taxi) only.

Bus:

Lothian Bus numbers 11 and 22 stop 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.

Entrance - Access to the Royal Yacht Britannia

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.

Royal Yacht Britannia/Ocean Terminal Building Accessibility

Thanks to the 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.

Wheelchair Accessible Toilets at the Royal Yacht Britannia

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.

Wheelchair Accessible Cafe/Restaurant on board the Royal Yacht Britannia

Because 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.

See the Wheelchair Accessible Edinburgh Guide for details of other wheelchair accessible attractions, restaurants and hotels in Edinburgh.

Photo: Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh

If this information has assisted you in planning your travels with your wheelchair, please consider making a donation to FareShare, and help them feed the most vulnerable people in the UK.

Thank you – and Happy Travels!

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