Royal Yacht Britannia to close for Jubilee paint job

The Royal Yacht Britannia, one of Scotland’s leading tourist attractions, has closed for a month, to be prepared for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Year.

The attraction is making the short trip to a neighbouring dry-dock for inspecting and repainting her hull below the waterline, and is expected to re-open on February 1.

The aim of the work is to ensure the iconic vessel looks her best for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.

Bob Downie, chief executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia, 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.”

Britannia is looking forward to a busy year – as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, 2012 is also the 60th anniversary of the laying down of Britannia’s keel. Work began on the ship at John Brown’s shipyard in Clydebank in June 1952 and she was launched in April 1953.