Board meetings for 10, dinners for 60 and drinks receptions for up to 100 guests can be held aboard Fingal, a former lighthouse tender converted into a floating hotel with 23 cabins, moored at Alexandra Dock in Leith, the port district of Edinburgh.
Seminars and company events
Fingal sells meetings and events from a boardroom session for 10 guests to gatherings of up to 60, and lists product launches and private dining among the uses. The Ballroom is the main space. The Bridge hosts a Chef's Table with an interactive five-course tasting menu for 6 to 10 guests, a fitting closing dinner for a small leadership team or a client evening. The ship can also be booked for exclusive use, which gives a company the run of the decks, the restaurant and the cabins for an offsite or an incentive stay.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings take place in the Ballroom, for up to 60 guests at dinner, and every wedding has a dedicated event manager. The exclusive-use package lists the Ballroom, the Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar with its deck, The Bridge, the Skerryvore Suite with its private deck, 22 guest cabins and 2 junior suites. The ship also hosts private dinners for birthdays, anniversaries and retirement parties.
Rooms and capacities
The Ballroom is a double-height room with a removable skylight and a raised gallery. It seats up to 60 for dinner and takes 100 for a drinks reception. The Bridge is used for private dining and for the Chef's Table of 6 to 10 guests. The Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar, with its deck, can be used for dining and events; the website gives no separate capacity for it. Ask the events team about audiovisual equipment for presentations.
Accommodation
The cabins are named after lighthouses built by the Stevenson family of engineers. Categories include Classic Cabin, Luxury Cabin, Classic Duplex Suite, Luxury Duplex Suite and the Skerryvore Suite. The home page counts 23 cabins, while the wedding page lists 22 cabins and 2 junior suites, so confirm the exact number for your group. Either way, a small team can sleep on board after the event.
Catering
The Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar holds 2 AA Rosettes and serves breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner and cocktails. Event menus come from the ship's own kitchen, and guest chef Nick Nairn is featured on the site. Tables in the restaurant must be booked in advance.
History and setting
Fingal served the Northern Lighthouse Board, the body that looks after the lighthouses around Scotland's coast. The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust bought the ship in July 2014 and converted it into a hotel through its trading company, Royal Yacht Enterprises, and it opened to guests in 2019. The site presents it as Scotland's only static floating hotel. It lies at Alexandra Dock on the Leith waterfront, about 2 miles from the center of Edinburgh.
Getting there
The Port of Leith tram stop is a short walk from the ship. The tram line runs through the city center and on to Edinburgh Airport, so guests flying in can reach the ship without a car. Edinburgh Waverley, the main railway station, is about 2 miles away.
