Cruise terminal in Edinburgh?

My wife and I will be on the Into the Midnight Sun cruise on the Sky, London to Bergen, July 7, 2018. The first port after London is Edinburgh, but it isn't clear to me which of the three possibilities Viking use -- Leith, Rosyth, or South Queensferry. The Sky may be too large for Leith, and Rosyth is a tender port and quite far from Edinburgh, so I'm hoping it may be South Queensferry. We may want to revisit some Edinburgh places on our own instead of doing a tour.

Anyone with prior experience on a Viking cruise who can tell me where the Sky is likely to tie up?

This will be our second Viking cruise (we did the NY to Miami via a wicked nor'easter and various Caribbean ports last Oct/Nov); and we're booked on an Alaska cruise next year.

We're on the Midnight Sun cruise, on Viking Sea, departing Greenwich on June 26th. We call at Edinburgh on the 29th and looking at 'My Viking Journey' the itinerary shows we'll be docked at Newhaven. Look at Google maps - Newhaven, Edinburgh, and you will see it's not too far from the city (and very close to Leith, where the Royal Yacht Britannia is moored). I understand hourly shuttle buses run from the quayside to Edinburgh city centre.

We're on the Midnight Sun cruise, on Viking Sea, departing Greenwich on June 26th. We call at Edinburgh on the 29th and looking at 'My Viking Journey' the itinerary shows we'll be docked at Newhaven. Look at Google maps - Newhaven, Edinburgh, and you will see it's not too far from the city (and very close to Leith, where the Royal Yacht Britannia is moored). I understand hourly shuttle buses run from the quayside to Edinburgh city centre.

Thanks! I see Newhaven on Google Earth, though not exactly where a ship would dock. But that would be a great location! Enjoy the midnight sun!

Thanks! I see Newhaven on Google Earth, though not exactly where a ship would dock. But that would be a great location! Enjoy the midnight sun!

Newhaven is a tender facility. It is walking distance to the cruise terminal at Leith and to public transportation. We used the HOHO yellow route to get ourselves in and out of Edinburgh center; there is a stop nearby. Newhaven is a lot better than Rosyth, where they were berthed last summer. Leith is not possible because the Viking ships can only get in and out at high tide.

Er Newhaven is in Leith! The new ocean terminal should certainly be able to accommodate a Viking ship. Larger ships than those dock here. (I live in Edinburgh btw)

Er Newhaven is in Leith! The new ocean terminal should certainly be able to accommodate a Viking ship. Larger ships than those dock here. (I live in Edinburgh btw)

I bow to your superior knowledge... Wikipedia pages show them as separate places! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newhaven,_Edinburgh

Do you know if the bus numbers shown from Newhaven (to the city centre, and to Leith) are correct? We'll probably use public transport to get around while we're there.

Newhaven is a tender facility. It is walking distance to the cruise terminal at Leith and to public transportation. We used the HOHO yellow route to get ourselves in and out of Edinburgh center; there is a stop nearby. Newhaven is a lot better than Rosyth, where they were berthed last summer. Leith is not possible because the Viking ships can only get in and out at high tide.

Great photos, thanks!

As far as I remember the 10 and the 22 run frequently. Current fare is £1.70 single. A day ticket is £4. All buses require exact amount. No change given.

Leith is not possible because the Viking ships can only get in and out at high tide.

 

I should have been more specific. As it was explained to me by the VP of Operations, Viking does not want to dock at Leith because they would be limited in their arrival and departure times. Newhaven is in Leith but it is a small harbor separate from the rest of the facilities at Leith; where the tender docked could not handle a cruise ship because it is too small and not deep enough. Whether cruise ships can dock outside the sea wall at Newhaven, I have no idea.

They have added a section at the little Newhaven Harbour to allow tender craft to land. It's a tiny harbour for leisure craft. Our son in law keeps his RIB there.

It's a pity Viking don't want to use the cruise ship terminal which is all geared up for large vessels. I was once very taken aback when driving when what seemed like a block of flats suddenly started moving - I think it was the World (ship) at that time the largest cruise ship in the world.

If you dock close, the Royal Yacht Britannia is worth a visit. By the Ocean Terminal shopping mall in Leith. You can get a public bus right outside of the shopping mall that will take you into Edinburgh.

If you dock close, the Royal Yacht Britannia is worth a visit. By the Ocean Terminal shopping mall in Leith. You can get a public bus right outside of the shopping mall that will take you into Edinburgh.

I was thinking of asking Her Majesty for a ride on her Yacht, but then learned it was decommissioned twenty years ago, just after bringing the Prince of Wales and the last governor of Hong Kong back to the UK after the handover to the Chinese. Oh well, c'est la vie!

We will be on the Viking Sun in Edinburgh on September 5, 2018. Does anyone know if we can get on the Hop On Hop Off Bus near the cruise terminal. I plan to buy our tickets for the bus online. We will walk to the Royal Yacht Britannia for the tour then we want to use the hop on hop off bus to go into the city to see Edinburgh Castle, walk on the royal mile, eat at a pub, then get back to the ship by 5pm. We do not want to go the the Waverley Hop On Hop Off starting point to get on the bus. We want to get on it initially near the cruise port. Anyone know anything about this?

The Royal Yacht will take you about 2 hours for a quick walk through. Since all the activities you plan are in generally the same area, rather than the HO-Ho you may want to consider a city bus up to Princess Street. You can cross the bridge to walk up the Royal Mile to the Castle. Lots of pubs on the Royal Mile or connecting streets. Don't forget to check out Greyfriars Bobby, which h as a pub of the same name.

City buses leave from right outside the Royal Yacht.

We will be on the Viking Sun in Edinburgh on September 5, 2018. Does anyone know if we can get on the Hop On Hop Off Bus near the cruise terminal. I plan to buy our tickets for the bus online. We will walk to the Royal Yacht Britannia for the tour then we want to use the hop on hop off bus to go into the city to see Edinburgh Castle, walk on the royal mile, eat at a pub, then get back to the ship by 5pm. We do not want to go the the Waverley Hop On Hop Off starting point to get on the bus. We want to get on it initially near the cruise port. Anyone know anything about this?

If you are at Newhaven, there is a stop right there for the yellow line (think it is also called the Majestic Line). We used it to get to the art museum and then picked it up again at Stop 1 for the ride back to the Newhaven.

The stop is very easy to get to from Newhaven. Go back up to the two pictures above. The second one was taken from near the bus stop (to the photographers left). As you get off the tender, walk along the yacht basin (keep the water on your right side) until you get to the street; without crossing, turn right (still walking along the yacht basin) and continue until you get to the bus stop/shelter. You can't miss the HOHO. It is bright yellow. We bought our tickets on the bus for just the yellow line but you can buy multi-line tickets.

There are also regular bus lines that go into the downtown area as well. Google maps does routing as part of its directions function or you can learn more on the Edinburgh public transit website.

Ordinary buses will take you from Leith up to Princes St. Much cheaper than HOHO ones. Once on Princes St just walk up the mound to the Royal Mile. Warning - it's packed with tourists and what we locals call 'tartan tat' shops. When are you going though? The best time of year to really appreciate it is late autumn /very early spring. Its much quieter and more atmospheric.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is an interesting visit but its accessed via a featureless mall.

The ship may be located at the Ocean terminal at Leith which is exactly where the RYB is berthed. The Newhaven drop off point is not always used.

Ordinary buses will take you from Leith up to Princes St. Much cheaper than HOHO ones. Once on Princes St just walk up the mound to the Royal Mile. Warning - it's packed with tourists and what we locals call 'tartan tat' shops. When are you going though? The best time of year to really appreciate it is late autumn /very early spring. Its much quieter and more atmospheric.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is an interesting visit but its accessed via a featureless mall.

The ship may be located at the Ocean terminal at Leith which is exactly where the RYB is berthed. The Newhaven drop off point is not always used.

I agree with Nippy Sweetie. Use the local bus rather than the HOHO. Edinburgh is a fantastic city but is very busy in the summer months. Pick one or two things that are 'must sees' as you will be unable to do it all.

On the other hand, if you choose to give Edinburgh a miss, you could do worse than head to my home town of St Andrews.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your brief time in Scotland.