EVERYTHING’S SHIP-SHAPE!

Aboard Scotland’s only luxury floating hotel you’ll find that . . .

WHEN the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997, the Queen shed a rare public tear. The iconic vessel was her home at sea for 44 years, where she and other members of the Royal Family relaxed in the lap of luxury.

Britannia may have made her last voyage, but just along the dock her spirit remains alive in another historic vessel.

Fingal began its life as a tender boat for the Northern Lighthouse Board, but today is Scotland’s only luxury floating hotel.

When I arrive, having navigated the labyrinth of Leith tram works, tranquillity is far from my mind.

‘Welcome home’ our porter says, as he shows us into our cabin.

I shoot him a slightly sceptical look, which is retracted once the door opens to reveal our snug yet sumptuous accommodation.

Davy lamps cast a warm glow across the cabin’s smooth convibrant tours and, in the middle of the room, a king-size bed practically embraces me like an old friend.

We are staying in Bell Rock, one of the 23 cabins named after Scottish lighthouses designed by the pioneering Stevenson family.

Our porter tells us the Bell Rock, off the Angus coast, took three years to construct as the work had to be timed with low tide.

Its namesake cabin has a similar mark of craftsmanship. From its polished wooden interiors to the bed’s specially designed tartan throw by master weaver Araminta Campbell, no detail has been overlooked.

And it is only the lure of a signature cocktail and a bite to eat at the hotel’s Lighthouse Bar and Restaurant which stops me ensconcing myself in Bell Rock for the rest of the night.

From the ship’s berth in the Alexandra Dock, Leith’s shore is just a five-minute walk away, boasting an array of bustling bars and restaurants.

Aboard Fingal though, dinner is a much more leisurely affair. Situated under a glimmering copper ceiling we are presented with a simple menu drawing on fresh, Scottish ingredients.

For me the highlight was my £22 hispi cabbage main, which managed to turn a foodstuff previously of my childhood nightmares into one of the most indulgent meals I’ve ever eaten. At £40, my partner’s steak was cooked to perfection, but was perhaps more of a celebratory splurge.

Each course was paired with a wine served by our knowledgeable and friendly waiter. The staff could not do enough for us and there was a sense no request was too small.

After such a taste of luxury, it seemed fitting to take the tenminute stroll over to the Royal Yacht Britannia docked nearby in the morning. We were handed an audio guide which allowed us to wander at our own pace.

In the impressive state dining room, I was unsurprised to learn it took up to three hours to set up for banquets. Each place was meticulously arranged with a ruler to ensure every cup, napkin and piece of cutlery was perfectly set.

Predominantly, I was struck by the sense that the ship was not just a palace, but a home.

The Queen was integral in much of its design and her quarters, left exactly as they were the day she disembarked, bear her personal taste. Visiting just over a month after Her Majesty’s death served as a potent reminder of this bygone era.

But today, in its new role as a event space, and having recently been voted the UK’s best attraction, it’s clear that Britannia still rules the waves.