William and Kate effect helps boost Britannia numbers

The Leith attraction has been inundated with tourists since the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April, and has seen an increase of 28 per cent this month alone.

Many of those flocking to the decommissioned yacht, one of a handful of five-star rated attractions in Scotland, are keen to catch a glimpse of the floating palace where the young royal spent his youth.

The trust that operates Britannia, which was launched in 1953 and decommissioned in 1997, said visitor numbers had been strong and reached an "incredible" peak this month.

The venue usually attracts around 250,000 visitors per year but that figure is expected to be far higher this year.

The 400-feet yacht, which had a crew of 240 officers and yachtsmen, was where Prince William spent family holidays and he is featured in many family photographs still on board Britannia.

Other highlights popular among the visitors include the state apartments, the honeymoon suite where Charles and Diana stayed during their honeymoon, the sun lounge and the crew's quarters.

Royal fever has spread across the globe since the couple, who met while studying at St Andrews University, married on April 29 and is currently gripping the United States and Canada, which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit from June 30 to July 10.

Lynda Dalgleish, head of visitor experience at the attraction, said: "The Royal Yacht Britannia is a wonderful asset for Edinburgh and in this royal wedding year, visitors are more eager than ever to be able to experience what life was like on board Her Majesty's floating palace."

Manuela Calchini, director for VisitScotland for Edinburgh and the Lothians, said: "We are delighted to hear the Royal Yacht Britannia's visitor numbers are up due to recent publicity surrounding the royal family.

"We are looking forward to welcoming them to Edinburgh in July, as events such as the royal wedding do attract interest from a worldwide audience and visitors to our wonderful city will be able to enjoy high-quality visitor attractions with a royal connection such as the Royal Yacht Britannia.

"VisitScotland has been including promotion of Royal Scotland in much of our online marketing activity over the last few months."