The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Access Statement for The Royal Yacht Britannia

Updated January 2023

This Access Statement does not contain personal

opinions as to our suitability for those with access

needs but aims to describe accurately the facilities

and services that we offer all our visitors.

The Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Terminal, Leith,

Edinburgh EH6 6JJ

Please use our postcode for SAT NAV.

For full information on directions, please see our

website (www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk).

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

The Royal Yacht Britannia is a five-star tourist

attraction and exclusive use evening events venue,

berthed in Leith, Edinburgh.

Britannia is the UK’s Best Attraction (Which?

Magazine) and Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Best

of the Best award winner and has been consistently

judged Scotland's Best Visitor Attraction by national

tourism agency, VisitScotland, for thirteen years.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is highly accessible for

wheelchair users or those with specific access needs.

Entry is via Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, which

has 1600 free parking places, including dedicated

disabled parking spaces on every level, with lifts

connecting all floors.

If you require any further information about specific

access or need advice on planning your visit, please

+44 (0) 131 555 8800 (Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm)

or email [email protected].

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

If we have not covered your access requirements in

this document, please contact us and we will be

happy to discuss your needs and offer assistance

where we can.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement 
 
4 
 
Contents 
Access Statement for The Royal Yacht Britannia ....... 1 
General Information .................................................. 7 
About us ................................................................... 7 
Getting here ............................................................. 9 
Pre-Arrival .............................................................. 10 
By rail ................................................................... 10 
By bus ................................................................... 10 
By car ................................................................... 12 
By taxi .................................................................. 12 
Ocean Terminal Car parking and arrival ............... 13 
Arriving by bus, taxi, bicycle or on foot ................ 16 
Within Ocean Terminal ............................................ 18 
Lift/Escalator Access .............................................. 18 
Wheelchair users ................................................... 20 
Buggies ................................................................... 21 

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement 
 
5 
 
Main Britannia entrance, Reception and ticketing 
area ........................................................................ 23 
Arriving at our Visitor Centre ................................. 23 
The Tour .................................................................. 26 
Britannia Tour (displays, exhibits) ............................ 28 
Public Access on board ............................................ 30 
Lift tower ............................................................... 30 
Onboard lift to the Royal Deck Tea Room ............ 31 
Doorways, floor coverings, lighting, stairs, ramps . 33 
Public Toilets ............................................................ 35 
Catering ................................................................... 36 
Royal Deck Tea Room ............................................ 37 
Gift Shop .................................................................. 39 
Additional Information ............................................ 42 
Wheelchairs ........................................................... 42 
Assistance Dogs ..................................................... 42 
Signage ................................................................... 43 

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Staff training .......................................................... 44

First Aid .................................................................. 44

Smoking Area ......................................................... 44

Local accommodation providers .............................. 45

Feedback ................................................................. 46

Contact Information ................................................ 47

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

General Information

About us

• We aim to provide the best possible customer

experience for everyone.

• Britannia is the UK’s Best Attraction (Which?

Magazine) and Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice

Best of the Best award winner and has been

consistently judged Scotland's Best Visitor

Attraction by national tourism agency,

VisitScotland, for thirteen years. Britannia is

berthed in Leith, Edinburgh, just 2 miles from the

city centre.

• Access to Britannia is through Ocean Terminal

Shopping Centre (2

floor of the shopping centre

itself, most directly accessible from Level E of the

Blue Car Park).

• We have British and American Sign language

tablets, an audio tour in 30 languages, Braille

script, plus basic English, a version for the visually

impaired and a children’s version of our tour.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

• At the Handset Desk we have straps which allow

the audio guides to be worn around the neck.

Headphones are also available.

• The audio tour is now available to listen to on

your mobile phone during the tour. We

encourage our visitors to bring their own

headphones but disposable headphones are

available.

• For opening dates and times, please see our

website.

• On average tours last 1.5 – 2 hours, but please

allow longer if using our Royal Deck Tea Room.

• We have accessible toilets within the Visitor

Centre and aboard Britannia.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Getting here

• You can arrive at Ocean Terminal by car, bus,

bicycle, taxi or on foot.

• There is a multi-storey car park and surface car

park. Parking is free.

• The nearest dedicated parking for wheelchair

users and people with mobility impairments is in

the Blue Car Park of Ocean Terminal on Level E.

• There are bus stops situated on Melrose Drive,

next to Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre (whilst

tram works outside Ocean Terminal are in

process). Buses frequently run to and from the

city centre.

• Taxis can be called at Ocean Terminal’s Reception

desk.

• There are bike racks situated at the front of

Ocean Terminal.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Pre-Arrival

We are just 25 minutes' drive from Edinburgh city

centre. Our Visitor Centre is in Ocean Terminal on the

second floor.

By rail

The nearest train station is Edinburgh Waverley, this

is 2.3 miles from Ocean Terminal. There is a taxi rank

outside the station. It will take around 20-25 minutes

by taxi to Britannia from Edinburgh Waverley. This

may vary depending on the traffic.

By bus

• Lothian Bus services from Edinburgh city centre

are numbers 11 and 22, or number 35 from The

Royal Mile.

• Majestic Tour buses depart from St Andrew

Square in Edinburgh’s city centre.

• The distance from the bus stop at Ocean Terminal

Shopping Centre to the main door entrance is

approximately 180 yards, depending on the bus

stop from which you disembark.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

• The bus stops are currently located on Melrose

Drive, beside Ocean Terminal.

• A single journey on a Lothian Bus is currently

£1.80. Please note you must have the correct

amount (no change is given) or use contactless

card. A dayticket is available for £4.50 or will be

automatically capped at £4.40 when the same

contactless card is tapped for three or more

journeys.

All Lothian buses are easy access.

They have:

• Low entrances that can “kneel” to kerb height to

give step free access where possible.

• Retractable boarding ramp for wheelchair access.

• High visibility handrails.

• A dedicated wheelchair space.

• Drivers specially trained to help customers enjoy

the full benefit of their buses.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

By car

For satnav, our postcode is EH6 6JJ. Follow signs for

Edinburgh and Leith, or North Edinburgh. Then follow

brown Britannia signs. FREE parking at Ocean

Terminal (Blue Car Park, Level E is nearest to our

Visitor Centre and has disabled spaces).

By taxi

There currently is no designated taxi drop-off point.

Taxi drivers will drop you off as close to Ocean

Terminal as possible.

Our preferred taxi supplier is Central Taxis. All

Central Taxis are wheelchair accessible. They offer a

mix of 5-seater TX Hackney cabs, 6-seater Mercedes

M8 taxis and Peugeot E7 taxis, each of which is

supplied with a wheelchair ramp, seatbelts and

additional safety anchors. All drivers have completed

training in Wheelchair Access and Disability

Awareness.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Ocean Terminal Car parking and arrival

There is a multi-storey car park at each end of Ocean

Terminal. If arriving to The Royal Yacht Britannia by

car, the best level to park on is level E.

Ocean Terminal Free car parking:

Car park

No. of blue badge car

parking spaces

Surface car park

(Ocean Drive)

5 (There is a dropped

kerb for access)

Blue car park – Level C

Blue car park – Level E

Red car park – Level C

Red car park – Level E

The surface of the multi storey car park is concrete.

The car park is well lit. On entry to the shopping

centre from the multi storey (Level E) there are 2

automatic outward opening doors. The width of

these is 1570mm. Each level has two lifts from the

car park entrance that service every level of the

shopping centre.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(Ocean Terminal multi-storey parking.)

(Ocean Terminal Blue car park, Level E – This is the

same level to access Britannia’s Visitor Centre from

the car park, with a set of manual doors on the left

and automatic outward facing set of doors on the

right, as shown open in the above picture.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

floor Inner entrance to Ocean Terminal, the

second set of automatic doors with a manually

opened set of doors on left, and automatically

opening set of doors on the right.)

On entry to the shopping centre from Level E, the

entrance to our Visitor Centre is approximately 40

metres away. The centre is tiled throughout. On

entry to our Visitor Centre, the flooring is a smooth

wooden surface.

There are three welcome desks on arrival to our

Visitor Centre, at least one of which is always staffed.

We have hearing induction loops throughout

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Britannia. There is also complimentary Wi-Fi

throughout.

Arriving by bus, taxi, bicycle or on foot

If arriving by bus, taxi or if you are on foot, access to

Britannia is from the Ocean Terminal Shopping

Centre main entrance on the ground level.

The Bus stops are currently located beside Ocean

Terminal’s Red Car Park on Melrose Drive. Upon

exiting the bus, follow the length of Ocean Terminal

and you will find the main entrance. Please note that

you will not see Britannia, as the Yacht is

permanently berthed behind the shopping centre.

When leaving by bus, the bus stops have estimated

departure times of the buses on a screen in between

the first and second set of doors of Ocean Terminal.

The main entrance to Ocean Terminal is at street

level, with push button entry (outward facing doors).

There are double automatic access doors with a push

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

button, each with a width of 1570mm, with outward

doors.

(Outer set of doors to Ocean Terminal. As shown

above, the doors on the left are opened by a push

button. A set of manually opened doors are shown to

the right.)

(The automatically opened doors are opened by a

push button.)

Push button access

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Within Ocean Terminal

(Within Ocean Terminal there is a second set of

doors. There is push button entry again with outward

facing doors on the left and manually opened doors

on the right.)

Lift/Escalator Access

Through the main entrance to Ocean Terminal, turn

right and proceed along the concourse. There is a lift

on the far left, which gives access to level 2, where

the Britannia Visitor Centre is located. The lift has an

induction loop and speaker for emergencies and can

take up to 1600kg of weight, maximum 15 people.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(Lift access to Britannia within Ocean Terminal

Shopping Centre. This lift has a width of 1200mm.)

(Left image shows the lift buttons inside the Ocean

Terminal lift. The right image shows the emergency

telephone within the lift.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Alternatively, go straight ahead from the main

entrance to Ocean Terminal and take the escalators

to the 2

floor to start the tour.

(Escalator from the 1

floor to the 2

floor.)

Wheelchair users

• *Please note: Shopmobility scooters are

generally unsuitable on Britannia due to the

gradient of the ramps on board.

• Britannia is classed as Category 1, the highest

level for wheelchair access without assistance, by

VisitScotland. To access the whole tour,

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

wheelchairs should be no wider than 670mm, in

order to negotiate some narrow passageways

and corners.

• If your wheelchair exceeds 670mm in width, we

have five wheelchairs available for your use, at no

extra charge. Please ask to use a wheelchair at

the ticket desk.

Buggies

• Buggies are welcomed on board Britannia. All but

the widest double buggies will have full access to

the Britannia tour (max width 670mm). We have

baby changing facilities in the Visitor Centre and

at the four sets of toilets on board. We have high

chairs in the Tea Room.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(The Royal Yacht Britannia, with lift access to five

decks via the Lift Tower, pictured above.)

Each of Britannia's decks are accessed via a shore-

side Lift Tower and stairwell. Unfortunately, due to

reducing the risk of COVID, there are very limited

seats available on the tour route. Any seats without

ropes or signage are there for you to sit on and enjoy

your audio tour.

Lift Tower

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Main Britannia entrance, Reception and ticketing

area

Arriving at our Visitor Centre

On arrival at the 2

floor of Ocean Terminal, you will

find our Visitor Centre near the rotunda at the East

end of the building.

Our ticket desk is located to the left of our entrance

and our Gift Shop is located to the right.

There are no steps on entry to the Visitor Centre. The

floor surface in the Visitor Centre is wooden and

short pile carpet. There is seating available on entry

to the Visitor Centre and before proceeding on board

Britannia. The area is lit well by both compact

fluorescent bulbs and LED spotlighting. During peak

visiting times, there is a manned podium at front of

house to give information about tickets and the local

area.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(Visitor entrance to Britannia.)

(Lowered desk at our payment desk.)

There is a lower counter area, pictured above,

suitable for wheelchair users. The

payment/information desks area has a hearing loop.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

There are 5 wheelchairs available to borrow. Please

ask at our ticket desk, if required. We can offer a pen

and pad of paper to assist people in the ticketing

area and also have a magnifying glass available.

Tickets can be purchased for the Britannia tour from

the ticket desk, or in advance online via our website

– www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk. Should a

complimentary carer ticket be required, this can be

requested at the ticket desk on the day.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

The Tour

Our audio tour is available in 30 languages, a Basic

English version, a version for the visually impaired

and a children’s version. Visitors with learning

difficulties or those whose first language is not

English may find the Basic English audio tour suitable.

The tour is available in British or American Sign

Language on a tablet. We also offer the tour in Braille

script. We have a printed version of our English

language tour in large font – please request this at

the Handset Desk before you step on board

Britannia.

Our audio handsets have adjustable volume control,

so you may wish to also take the handset tour.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(Britannia’s British Sign Language Tablet.)

We have Visitor Assistants situated throughout our

tour, who are on hand to assist our visitors. The

Visitor Assistants are smartly dressed in Britannia’s

tartan and in colder weather have a red jacket.

Sensory packs are available from the Handset desk,

similar to as pictured.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(Sensory pack.)

Britannia Tour (displays, exhibits)

• Many exhibits within the Visitor Centre and on

board have a descriptive sign next to them in

English.

• There are no displays that use flashing lights.

• There are Visitor Assistants located along the

route who will be delighted to help with any

queries or requests.

• There is background noise/music on the Bridge,

in the Wardroom Ante Room, State Drawing

Room, State Dining Room, Royal Marines’

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Barracks, Chief Petty Officers’ Mess, Petty

Officers’ Mess, Laundry, Royal Sailing Exhibition,

Visitor Centre, Tea Room and Shop. Music is also

played in the Grey Level Toilets.

• Videos play in the Petty Officers’ and Royal

Marine Sergeants’ Mess.

• To enhance the experience, scents are used in

the Sick Bay (TCP) and Laundry (soap powder).

Air fresheners are in use in all four toilets on

board and in the Visitor Centre toilets.

Additionally, as fresh food and fudge are

prepared on board you may smell cooking on the

Blue Level Port Side, Galley Corridor and near the

NAAFI.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Public Access on board

Lift tower

A lift tower on the quayside gives access to

Britannia’s five decks, with lifts to every level and

ramps onto the ship.

(One of two lifts in the Lift Tower.)

The lift tower takes visitors to all decks and opens at

all levels. It is 1100mm in width.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(Inside one of the lifts in the Lift Tower.)

Onboard lift to the Royal Deck Tea Room

The original lift on board Britannia has a manual

opening/shutting door. The door width is 750mm.

This lift offers access to the Royal Deck Tea Room,

State Apartments and management level.

(Both images above show the onboard lift. On the

left shows the lift at the State Apartments level. The

image on the right shows the inside of the lift.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(The lift doors as seen from within the Royal Deck

Tea Room.)

Inside the lift, there is a panel with buttons, please

press the buttons on the left side. The maximum lift

load is 1200LBS.

(The picture on the left shows the buttons inside the

lift. The image on the right show the doors open at

the Royal Deck Tea Room level.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Doorways, floor coverings, lighting, stairs, ramps

Floor surfaces vary from wooden decks, short pile

carpet, linoleum tiles to ceramic tiles. Lighting

throughout Britannia is very good, with natural light

and fluorescent and LED tube lighting.

There are a few specific places to note:

• The doorway on exit from the Officers’

Wardroom is 780mm width and is a light wooden

door.

• There are 2 ramps allowing access to the

Verandah Deck, with handrails either side.

(Ramps aboard Britannia leading away from the

Verandah Deck.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

• If the lift is not required to access The Royal Deck

Tea Room, there are external stairs up from the

Verandah Deck. There are 15 stairs, with

handrails either side. These stairs are original,

and narrower in depth than the other staircases

on board.

(Stairs to The Royal Deck Tea Room.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Public Toilets

There are toilets situated on four decks aboard

Britannia and in our Visitor Centre in Ocean Terminal.

The toilets in the Visitor Centre are located after the

ticket desk and prior to boarding.

Visitor Centre

Door width: 900mm

Distance from seat: 1500mm

Seat height: 465mm

Tea Room

Door width: 1000mm

Distance from seat: 1200mm

Seat height: 465mm

Sailing Exhibition

Door width: 860mm

Distance from seat: 1000mm

Seat height: 490mm

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Gold level

Door width: 800mm

Distance from seat: 1200mm

Seat height: 560mm

Grey level

Door width: 800mm

Distance from seat: 1400mm

Seat height: 510mm

Please note, there is a slight slope in this toilet, due

to the camber.

Catering

The Royal Deck Tea Room is situated on board

Britannia. It is highly accessible for wheelchairs less

than 670mm in width and buggies by internal lift

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

from the Royal Bedrooms. The Tea Room is not

accessible by Shopmobility scooters. The tables and

chairs are moveable for wheelchair access.

Royal Deck Tea Room

• There are 15 steps up to the Tea Room from the

Verandah deck. The door width is 1010mm and

has a raised lip, which is highlighted with tape.

• The Tea Room has 35 tables and can seat 133

people. Table height is 720mm with chairs

without arms. Guests are waited on with table

service, by our staff.

• There are floor to ceiling windows throughout, as

well as spotlighting.

• The flooring is original wooden deck. The menu

caters for vegetarians and there are gluten,

wheat free cakes, scones, soups and sandwiches

available. Our staff will happily read out the

menu to customers. A magnifying glass and

reading glasses are available, on request. Please

ask a member of our staff.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

• Crockery is white, with silver teapots. Our table

tops are cream coloured. There are accessible

WCs within the Royal Deck Tea Room.

• There are high chairs available for younger

children and baby changing facilities.

• All soups served are gluten free. Please ask your

server for a gluten free roll. We also have gluten

free bread available for our sandwiches and our

potato wedges are gluten free. There are gluten

free fruit scones and gluten and wheat free cakes.

(Royal Deck Tea Room showing spacing between

tables.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Gift Shop

• Britannia’s Gift Shop is located within Ocean

Terminal shopping centre, adjacent to the Visitor

Centre entrance and can be accessed at the end

of the tour, or directly from Ocean Terminal

without having to visit Britannia itself.

• Access from Ocean Terminal is via an open

doorway with a width of 2700mm. On exit from

the Britannia tour, the entrance to the Gift Shop

is 1700mm in width.

• The flooring within the shop is wooden and level

throughout. The tables and fixtures have spacing

throughout to enable wheelchairs/pushchairs to

browse the shop. Fixtures include shelving units,

tables and gondolas.

• A magnifying glass is available to borrow from the

till point.

There is background music in the shop and a

Britannia DVD, which plays on a screen, with sound.

There is a hearing loop system within the shop.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Britannia staff are happy to offer any assistance

where required.

(Britannia Gift Shop, showing spacing between

gondolas.)

(Britannia Gift Shop and one of two till points.)

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(An example display of shelving.)

The height of the highest shelf within the Gift Shop is

1750mm. Our staff are happy to offer assistance to

reach any items within the shop.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Additional Information

Wheelchairs

If you are a wheelchair user and the measurements

of your wheelchair exceeds 670mm we are happy to

offer you a loan of one of our five wheelchairs,

available free of charge. Our staff are positioned

throughout the tour to answer questions and provide

general assistance.

Assistance Dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome on board Britannia. We

have dog water bowls located in the Visitor Centre,

by our Reception and outside by the Royal Barge,

next to the statue of a Former Royal Yachtsman.

Should your dog require the toilet, please ask a

member of our team who will be happy to escort you

to our onboard facilities.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Signage

General signage on board Britannia is white with

black text. The disc signs throughout the tour advise

visitors which numbers to press on their audio

handset tour and signify the colour of deck they are

located on. Each deck has a colour, namely red, blue,

gold, purple and grey.

(Signs on the tour route.)

Evacuation Chair

In the event of an evacuation on board, we have an

Evac Chair – The World’s No.1 Stairway Evacuation

chair, which trained members of our team will

administer on the day from the Tea Room to the

Verandah Deck. The chair has a 182kg payload

capacity.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

(Evacuation chair.)

Staff training

There is an ongoing programme of training with our

staff.

First Aid

There is a first aid room on board and there are

members of staff who are trained in general first aid.

Smoking Area

Smoking is not permitted within the Visitor Centre or

on board. There is however a designated smoking

area outdoor next to The Royal Barge.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Local accommodation providers

The Holiday Inn Express is the nearest hotel to

Britannia.

Holiday Inn Express, Britannia Way, Ocean Drive,

Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ.

The Holiday Inn Express is 0.3 miles from Britannia.

The Holiday Inn Express has 9 double accessible

rooms with wheel in access shower rooms. All rooms

have flashing fire alarms, emergency lighting and

emergency pull cords in both the bedroom and

bathroom area. There also have a vibrating pillow

that can be moved from room to room, which is

linked to the fire alarm system to alert people who

are deaf or have hearing loss should the fire alarm be

activated. There is also an ‘Evac Chair’ so that

disabled guests can evacuate the building in the

event of a fire.

There are no accessible twin-bedded rooms, however

there are adjoining rooms for carers which are

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

provided free-of-charge. Please note that these

interconnecting rooms must be booked directly with

the hotel to ensure availability.

There are no stairs at the entrance to the hotel. The

reception desk has a lowered area. Both the bar and

breakfast room are on the ground floor with easy

access.

Contact details for The Holiday Inn Express:

http://www.expressedinburgh.co.uk/

Feedback

If you would like to provide us with any feedback on

this Access Statement, we would welcome your

comments. We would be interested to hear if there is

any information we may have missed that would be

of interest. Please email us: enquiries@tryb.co.uk or

by telephone +44 (0) 131 555 8800 or simply speak

to a member of our team when you visit Britannia.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Access Statement

Contact Information

Address: The Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Terminal,

Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ

Telephone: +44 (0) 131 555 5566 / +44 (0) 131 555

8800.

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk