Edinburgh, Scotland

We arrived in Edinburgh this morning and traveled by coach to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia docked in nearby Leith.  A top-tourist attraction in the UK, the yacht is docked adjacent to the Ocean Centre, a modern, luxury, waterfront shopping and entertainment venue.  The yacht served the Queen and Royal Family from 1954 until its retirement in 1997.  During her 43-year career, she traveled more than one million nautical miles around the globe.  In July 1959, Britannia with the Queen and Prince Philip aboard, sailed the Great Lakes all the way to Chicago.

This is the Command Room of 412-foot Britannia.  The crew consisted of 20 officers and 220 hand-picked "Yatties".  The commanding officer was usually a Flag Officer or a Rear Admiral.

The commanding officer's quarters.  It served as his living quarters, office and dining room.

The officers Dining Room.  The evening meal was always formal attire complete with a 5-course meal and wine.

The formal dining room where state dinners were held.  Dozens of world leaders joined Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in this venue during the yacht's 43-years of service.

Though we could not visit the kitchen, I did manage to sneak a peek through one of the port holes.

The formal sitting area with an adjacent reception room could accommodate 200 guests.  Notice the clock on the back wall.  It displays 3:01, the time the ship was decommissioned.

The "Yatties" living quarters were pale compared to the luxury found on the rest of the ship.

After lunch we visited Edinburgh Castle built high on a rocky cliff at the head of old town.  The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 12th century.  During the next 450 years multiple battles destroyed parts of the structure.  These periods were followed by reconstruction and additions.  (Find a book on Scottish history if you want more details.)

The Royal Palace lies within the castle.  It has not been used as a residence of the Royal Family for more than a century and today houses Scotland's Royal treasures (crowns, jewelry, etc.)

The Royal Chapel, built in the 12th century,  is the only original structure remaining within the castle.  Everything else was built later.

The Large Hall today is a museum displaying the weapons used 800 years ago. 

In the castle's courtyard, a number of students on a field trip were busy (learning the history of the castle?) .

I did manage to get their attention long enough to take this photo.

This structure was a replacement church for the 12th century chapel previously shown.  Today it is a memorial for the Scottish veterans of WWI and WWII that lost their lives in battle.

A prison is necessary in every castle!  This one was in use for more than 600 years.

Would you like a nip in a tassie?