Photo Tour Royal Yacht Britannia

Royal Yacht Britannia.

A few weeks ago I shared photos of some of the doors to be found on the Royal Yacht Britannia. If you missed that post on the Britannia, you can find it here.

I found the views from the yacht to be beautiful. The yacht itself with its wood accents and attention to architectural details drew me in as well.

Exterior Photo Tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Today I’m sharing a few more photos of the beauty that I took in as I toured the boat.

Ancestral Journey.

That morning it had been raining in that gray, drizzly way that Scotland has a way of doing. The clouds still covered the sky as we arrived at the Port of Leith Cruise Terminal, the home to the Royal Yacht Britannia. A little wetness wasn’t going to dampen my spirits. I was in Scotland after all! This ancestral voyage with my mother and aunt…imagining the views that those from whom we descended had peered across.

If you’ve been following the blog for some time then you know that the majority of the Scottish line that we’ve traced is from the region around Glasgow. Many coal miners and weavers, the first surnames being Scott and McLachlan.

I also have a strong lineage traced back to England, although I’ve not been to visit there yet. My maternal grandfather was half Scottish and half English, his mother being a Simpson from Wigan, England. Amongst the tracings from the lineage of numerous Englishmen, one line that my father traces back to is one of the four Spencer brothers who came to America in the 1600’s. There is various research that shows a probable distant relation to the late Princess Diana.

While I did not follow much of the royal family’s comings and goings while growing up, I was enamored with Princess Diana as much as the next person. She married when I was almost 4 and passed away right before I turned 20. I remember reading a story about her childhood and I was the type of girl who dreamed about being a princess.

I grew out of that when I realized that I wouldn’t want the daily dose of public scrutiny.

History Preserved.

One of the things that I found fascinating about the Royal Yacht Britannia was how history was preserved. It felt like walking back through time.

Have you ever visited the Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World?

It takes you through the past and into a perceived future. Growing up in Florida, I went to Disney World some as a child and more as an adult. I loved being taken to places of nostalgia…places I’d only heard about in tales from my grandparents.

That was how the interiors of the yacht felt. Classic, yet from a place in the past.

I’ve only included the interior of the bridge in this tour, but be on the lookout for more from the inside in a future post.

Views.

As a Native Floridian (transplanted these past four years in the mountains of Virginia), I have a love for water.

The views from the port were stunning.

Bell and Binnacle.

Prior to entering the Sun Lounge and State Apartment tour of the yacht, you can see the bell and the binnacle. The binnacle, housing the ship’s compass is carved from a solid piece of mahogany. Two of these were originally on the Royal George. They were subsequently fitted on each Royal Yacht, although only one was fitted onto the Britannia.

Phantom V.

Of course, I had to capture the Rolls-Royce Phantom V that travels aboard the Britannia. 

Swans.

One of the fascinating facts that I learned while in Scotland is that all of the swans in the United Kingdom belong to the Queen.

When I checked this fact upon returning home, I found that she owns any unmarked mute swan.

But still!

That must be a lot of swans.

I thought it so appropriate that there should be swans swimming around the Royal Yacht Britannia.

This pair caught my eye as I finished up my tour of the yacht.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this photo walk about the yacht along with my ramblings.

To see the interior, be sure to check out this post.

 

Let your light shine!

Amy