Britannia will close for repair work

The Royal Yacht Britannia is to be moved from its berth in Edinburgh for the first time in almost 14 years.

The tourist attraction will close today for a month so it can go into dry dock to have its hull repainted.

The yacht will only travel a few hundred metres across the harbour in Leith.

However, Bob Downie from the Britannia charitable trust said it is essential for the vessel’s future. It travelled more than a million miles while in use by the Royal Family.

The former floating home of the Royal Family was decomissioned in December 1997.

Mr Downie said: “Britannia was last in dry dock in May 1998 when she first arrived in Leith and ever since then we have been conscious that, like all ships, there would be a future requirement to take her out of water again and have her hull surveyed and repainted, if need be.”