Day Eight - Royal Edinburgh

After a lazy start to the morning, we headed into the City and took the hop-on, hop-off bus tour.

One of the many shops catering to tourists

The guard tower at a city cemetery where the watchmen would guard against the body-snatchers

Edinburgh Castle - the fortress built upon a volcanic plug, making it impenetrable

The lamp standards at Holyrood House. We couldn't get in today. Charles and Camilla are in residence. Surely if they had known we were coming, they'd have left early.

The Salisbury Crags that form Arthurs Seat 

Cityscape

Then it was off one bus and onto a different tour bus to get to Ocean Terminal for our tour of the royal yacht, Britannia.

 Britannia Rock Candy

 Ornate binnacle, carved from a single piece of oak and which houses a compass

 The wheel house

 Welcoming mat

 Onboard garage with the Queen`s Rolls Royce formerly used during state visits to other countries

 Ship`s bell

 Sunroom which looks out onto the very large verandah. It is from the veranda that we see the royals waving to the crowds of onlookers

 The Queen`s bedroom. I was particulary taken with the personal photographs that adorn the room 

 The honeymoon suite. The only room with a double bed. Prince Charles had it brought onboard for his honeymoon with Princess Diana

 The State Dining Room. Every guest was given a souvenir menu to take home with them as a keepsake of thier visit aboard the royal yacht.

 The Queen`s sitting room-office

 The drawing room

Sick Bay. The ship has the capability of becoming a floating hospital in times of war or other disasters

The Mail Room

The Laundry

How's this for a scout badge on knots?

 

We enjoyed tea in the ship's tea room on the royal deck