Festive Royal Tea and Group Guided Tour

The Royal Yacht Britannia is running a Festive Royal Tea and Group Guided Tour in Leith, with the first one kicking off on Tuesday 17 November. It's a seasonal twist on the usual visit, and it runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays right through to 31 December, so there are plenty of dates to choose from if you're planning something for a group.

The tour starts with a walk through the State Apartments and the State Dining Room, both still decorated for the season. These are the rooms where world leaders and dignitaries were once entertained, and the guided tour focuses on the Royal Family's Christmas traditions. After that, the group heads to the Royal Deck Tearoom—the spot where the Royal Family used to relax, play games and entertain—for a festive tea. You'll find a mix of sweet and savoury treats, including a few of Queen Elizabeth II's favourites: a festive scone and a chicken and cranberry sandwich.

Once the tea is finished, the rest of the ship is yours to explore at your own pace with an audio guide. It's worth remembering what you're walking around—the Britannia was the floating palace of Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family for more than 40 years, and it's the last British Royal Yacht still in the world. It's an all-weather visit across five accessible decks, and the ship's stories are told in 42 versions, including an audio guide, a BSL/ASL tablet and a Braille script.

The tours run from 13:00 to 15:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 17 November to 31 December—that's 17, 19, 24 and 26 November, then 1, 3, 8, 10, 16, 17, 22, 24, 29 and 31 December. Tickets are £89 per person, and you'll board via the Royal Brow, the gangway once reserved for the Royal Family.