Edinburgh

Destination Highlights

1. Royal Yacht Britannia

   The Royal Yacht Britannia was home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family for over 40 years sailing over 1 million miles around the world. Now berthed in Edinburgh you can follow in the footsteps of Royalty to discover the heart and soul of this most special of Royal residences. With a fascinating audio tour of the 5 decks discover how the Royal Family and 220 crew lived. See where Prince Charles and Princess Diana honeymooned and where celebrities and Royal leaders were entertained including Ursula Andress, Frank Sinatra, President Regan and President Gorbachev.

   
2. Edinburgh Castle

   Edinburgh Castle dominates Scotland’s capital city from its great rock. Battles were fought over it, Royalty lived and died within its walls and countless generations have been inspired by it. Tracing its origins from an Iron Age stronghold, the castle through history has sheltered many Scottish monarchs including Mary Queen of Scots. Since the 1600’s the castle has been a military base and this military presence remains unbroken to this day. The castle is now Scotland’s leading tourist attraction and a key element of the Edinburgh World Heritage Site. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a must-see with much pomp and pageantry.

   
3. Rosslyn Chapel

   Famed for its links to the Knights Templar and made famous by Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, William St Clair founded the chapel for his family in 1450. Saved from destruction in the civil wars of the 1600’s the chapel fell into disrepair in the 1800’s when restoration spearheaded by Queen Victoria was undertaken. Repair and restoration continued for the next 100 years, but in 2004 Dan Brown's published book became a worldwide best seller causing unprecedented visitor numbers to the chapel. The release of the film in 2006 further raised the chapel's profile and fuelled continued interest in and speculation around Roslyn’s mysteries but nearly 600 years after it was built it still stands as a testament to the fascinating mind which designed and built this fabulous chapel.

   
4. Deep Sea World

   Deep Sea World is a popular aquarium located in the village of North Queensferry in Fife. It is host to a collection of large sand tide sharks also known as ragged tooth sharks and various other species of shark. For the opportunity of a lifetime why not dive into Deep Sea World's underwater safari and come face to face with a huge sand tiger shark, conga eels, sting rays and thousands of fish. Besides the sharks there are opportunities to see seals in their enclosure, experience the Amazon Rainforest, marvel at the Krakatoa tank and at the collection of amphibians which includes green poison frogs, red eye frogs, blue poison dwarf frogs, golden poison frogs and mud skippers.