Following two-years of planning and construction, The Royal Yacht Britannia’s impressive new exhibition space and retail unit is is now open to the public at Ocean Terminal.
With the final works taking place last week to finish these new additions at this popular attraction, we were given a tour to see what visitors can expect. Watch our video above and check out our photo gallery below to see more.
The exhibits include an attention-grabbing 11-foot Lego Britannia model with its very own Lego yachtsmen, and a unique giant corgi – commissioned exclusively for the new retail experience, manufactured by Rainbow Productions in London.
Jennifer Campbell, marketing and PR manager at The Royal Yacht Britannia said: “This was a substantial seven-figure investment which was two years in the designing and making.
“We are excited to be moving towards its conclusion and can’t wait to open our doors on Monday and see what our visitors make of these exciting new additions.
“We did have a visitor centre before, but it was shorter with less space to play with. We also had a shop which was really successful, but this new unit is 70 per cent larger, giving us the chance to offer visitors much more choice.
“This is a huge upgrade on what was there before, which was needed, as it had been the same for 26 years, since we first opened. This provides a much better first impression to visitors coming aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia.
“We have been in the temporary units for the ticket sales and shop for a year now while work was being carried out. I think everyone is looking forward to coming up to the new luxurious surroundings.
“I suppose this is like a warm-up act for the yacht itself. The exhibition space has many fittings designed to look just like you are already on the yacht. So you get a taste of the history and heritage of the yacht, as well as life on board, before you even get there.
“It’s such and incredible ship, on our doorstep here in Edinburgh, so we would love to see more locals consider coming along to see it. And when you visit once you get an annual free pass, so you can come back and not have to pay for a whole year, as many times as you want.
“It feeds into our charitable ethos here, as every penny we make goes back into the yacht, and creating a better experience for visitors.”
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The gold leaf details and hand painted signage throughout were painted by local traditional signwriter Thomas Paints, while Edinburgh-based company Eastern Signs manufactured and installed all the information boards and graphics.
Scottish specialist interior fit-out company Hugh Stirling Ltd manufactured the reception desks, handset podium and wooden handrail in the entrance corridor. They fitted out both the exhibition space and the shop with top-of-the-range luxurious fixtures and fittings.
13. Take the weight off
For visitors looking for a rest after being about the royal yacht, there is the comfortable looking seat in the gift shop to take the weight off at the end of their trip. | National World Photo: Kevin Quinn
14. Detail
Even the toilets at the new visitor attraction are designed to look like you are already on board the Royal Yacht Britannia. | National World Photo: Kevin Quinn
15. Nearly there
Although work is still ongoing at the new exhibition, with many of the exhibits still under wraps, it's clear to see that there is plenty for visitors to enjoy before they even step on board the famous royal ship. | National World Photo: Kevin Quinn
16. Audio guides
After walking through the new exhibition space, visitors will pick up their audio guides here before stepping on board the Royal Yacht Britannia. | National World Photo: Kevin Quinn