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The Royal Yacht Britannia has been named the best landmark in the UK in TripAdvisor's annual Travellers' Choice awards.

The impressive ship, which was a floating Royal residence for over 40 years, was also named among the winning landmarks in Europe, along with the Houses of Parliament.

She sailed over 1,000,000 miles around the world and has welcomed Queen Elizabeth, Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela on board during her time.

Floating palace: The Royal Yacht Britannia served the Queen for over 40 years and is now berthed in Edinburgh

Now the yacht is berthed in Edinburgh where it is a major visitor attraction. Tourists can wander through the state apartments and Royal bedrooms and get an idea of what life was like on board the yacht during its heyday.

Royal Yacht Britannia Chief Executive Bob Downie said: 'We are absolutely delighted that our passion for delivering outstanding customer experiences has been so highly valued on TripAdvisor, and to be No.1 in the UK is a tremendous achievement that our staff can be very proud of.'

Now in its second year, the Travellers' Choice awards highlight the top landmarks and parks around the globe.

The awards were based on millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers, and the winners were determined by the quantity and quality of reviews gathered over a 12-month period.

Royal seal of approval: St James's Park in London was named among the 25 best parks in the world

In the parks category, London's St James' Park in London was named among the 25 best parks in the world, claiming the number one spot in the UK and coming 9th in Europe.

 

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London, together with Paris and Moscow, is home to more 2014 award-winning parks than any other city in the world with five winning parks.

St James's Park, Hyde Park, Regents Park, Greenwich Park and Richmond Park all claimed a coveted place in the UK top ten.

Historic site: Edinburgh Castle placed in the top ten when it came to the best UK landmarks

St James' Park ranked 24th in the world, ninth in Europe and number one in the UK. The park - which is the oldest of the capital's eight Royal Parks - covers 23 hectares and includes The Mall and Horse Guards Parade.

It provides the setting for spectacular pageants including the annual Trooping the Colour, which took place last weekend.

Hyde Park, Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens and Holyrood Park come in second, third and fourth place in the UK and 11th, 12th and 17th in Europe respectively.

World-famous site: Machu Picchu in Peru was voted the No.1 landmark in the world

In the landmarks category, Edinburgh claimed two awards, with Edinburgh Castle placing in the top ten along with the Royal Yacht Britannia.

London claimed the most landmark wins of any UK city, with the Houses of Parliament, Bomber Command Memorial, Tower of London and Big Ben each taking second, third, fourth, and seventh place respectively in the UK.

Going green: Stanley Park in Vancouver was voted the best park in the world

TripAdvisor spokesperson, James Kay said: 'With schools breaking up for the summer holidays in a matter of weeks, these attractions will serve as a great must see and do list for families - especially as many of them can be enjoyed for free.

'London cements its reputation as a city of fantastic parks with five award wins - only Paris and Moscow scored as many award winning parks.

'But for the UK's best rated landmark you have to look outside the capital to Edinburgh, where the Royal Yacht Britannia has claimed the number one spot for the first time.'

For the complete list of winners visit http://ift.tt/1uAanHe.