Experience your own One Day in Edinburgh – just like Emma and Dex.
Check out all the locations mentioned on our map below .This winter, walk in the footsteps of the star-crossed characters in the bestselling novel, now blockbuster film, One Day.
Part shot on location in the inspiring and magical Scottish capital of Edinburgh, the film follows the lives of sensible Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and bad boy Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) as they forge their way in the world after meeting at the University of Edinburgh. Here’s our handy guide to discovering your One Day in Edinburgh…..
Begin in the heart of the Old Town along Victoria Terrace, (1) a beautifully appointed street with brightly coloured shop facades housing some of Edinburgh’s best independent boutiques, eateries and Scottish produce specialists such as I.J Mellis Cheese and Demijohn, the liquid Deli. Gateway to Edinburgh’s famous Grassmarket, (2) this part of the Old Town is steeped in history and gothic architecture, and is perfect for whiling away the hours of your one day. http://www.grassmarket.net/
If you want to find a dress like that worn by Anne Hathaway in Emma’s ‘80s student days, why not check out Armstrong’s Vintage Clothes store for hip, retro finds. http://www.armstrongsvintage.co.uk/
Round the corner take in the impressive Parliament Square, (3) forecourt of Parliament House, just off the Royal Mile. In the same architectural style as many of the Edinburgh University buildings, this location was used for the scenes at the beginning of the film in which Dexter and Emma meet after their graduation ceremony.
Leaving the Royal Mile, take Warriston Close(4) – one of Edinburgh’s many enchanting passageways – leading down to Cockburn St and towards Princes Street and the New Town. You may want to stop off at Mary King’s Close (5) to discover more about the history of closes and the Old Town. There are many other closes off the Royal Mile to explore. Descend the dramatic staircase, and imagine the many who have done so before, including Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew. From here you can appreciate the drama and architecture that give Edinburgh its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. It is based on the unique, unspoilt proximity of the Old Town to the New Town. This is where the first scenes were shot and the crew were able to disembark from the train that brought them to Edinburgh and walk for just 5 minutes before reaching their destination.
Crossing Princes Street Gardens,(6) imagine Dex and Emma’s playful banter as they head towards the rows of mid-to-late 18th-century buildings in Edinburgh’s New Town. Moray Place (7) and Forres St (8) offer some of the most perfectly preserved examples of Georgian architecture in Europe. It is here that the romantic kiss featured on the poster for the film was shot.
Amble back through the New Town to the novel’s location for Dexter’s flat in Fettes Row.(9)
Why not stop for refreshments at Leo’s Beanery or take a brief diversion to St Stephen’s Street for more independent boutiques including the new Those Were The Days vintage boutique.
Towards the east end of Princes Street, venture up Calton Hill. (9) This is one of the most popular filming locations in Edinburgh as it offers a remarkable cityscape – from Castle Hill out to the Firth of Forth. It is currently used as a site for festivities, public gatherings, general recreation and a grand observatory site . Imagine Emma and Dex traversing the impressive collection of monuments, among them the National Monument, New Parliament House (the Royal High School), the Robert Burns Monument, and the City Observatory. The film’s second unit filmed sunrise shots from here as celebrating students watched the sun rise. We can’t wait to see if these scenes made it into the film.
Treat your very own special someone to a gentle climb up to the summit of Arthur’s Seat, (10) a 350 million-year-old extinct volcano. An easy 30-minute amble up any of the various paths of rock and grass will reward you with glorious summit views sweeping 360º across the city. Give it a romantic twist like Em and Dex with a cosy blanket and gourmet picnic basket from one of Edinburgh’s delicious delis, and don’t forget your camera for that magical picture! The scenes shot on Arthur’s Seat were facilitated by Historic Scotland who manage the park. In order to get the shots the director wanted, a platform for equipment was required and for several days ahead of filming a helicopter could be seen dropping off the necessary materials.
Rankeillor Street, (11) is situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s student-cool suburb of Newington right next to Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat. Here was Emma Morley’s student residence. A bustling district full of global eateries, treasure troves of second-hand retailers and a few of Edinburgh’s world-class Festival venues: The Queen’s Hall, Surgeon’s Hall and Festival Theatre. Wander around the many coffee shops and bookstores that Emma might have visited while she lived in this part of town.
One Day was shot in Edinburgh with the assistance of Marketing Edinburgh, Film Focus.
Filming took place at the beginning of August 2010 for 5 days. Edinburgh is a popular filming location and you may have seen it starring most recently in the BBC Drama Case Histories or Sylvain Chomets animated feature The Illusionist. For further information about films shot in Edinburgh, check out http://www.edinfilm.com/filming/filmed_here
View the locations on our One Day Itinerary Map
Zoom in and click on the numbers for more information on each location.
