One Day: Exclusive behind the scenes pictures of set at the University of Edinburgh’s Old College Quad

Netflix’s adaptation of the novel One Day has sent hearts racing, and made Edinburgh a must see destination for fans around the world.

The Netflix series has remained one of the top ten most watched TV shows on the streaming platform since its release last month.

The series follows the love story of Emma and Dexter, who meet on their graduation day at the University of Edinburgh.

The new Netflix series stars Ambika Mod as Emma, known for her portrayal of Shruti in This is Going to Hurt, and Leo Woodall as Dexter, who recently starred in The White Lotus. Netflix via Twitter

Throughout the series, key locations around Edinburgh are shown – including Arthurs Seat, Vennel steps and The Old College Quad.

STV News has obtained exclusive behind the scenes pictures from when The University’s Old College Quad was transformed into a set for the show in July 2022.

Behind the scenes of One Day scenes at Edinburgh University in 2022. Supplied

Head of festivals and events at the University of Edinburgh, Lorna Brain, said: “There’s always a bit of excitement when somebody like Netflix gets in touch.

“They were with us for about a week here, they did overnight filming and we had to close off the central bit of the quad and they laid it out to make it look like a graduation party as it probably would have looked like late 80s early 90s.”

Arthur’s Seat also features as a prominent backdrop for the show throughout the entire series, where the main characters share tender moments while overlooking the city.

Arthur's Seat is among the popular Edinburgh locations that feature in One Day. — Arthur’s Seat is among the popular Edinburgh locations that feature in One Day. Supplied

Following the series’ release, there was an almost 70% increase in travel searches to Edinburgh, according to travel search engine site, KAYAK – with the series expected to continue boosting tourism this year.

Per Christiansen, senior vice president and marketing at KAYAK compared One Day’s influence on travel to Edinburgh with the likes of increased excursion interest to Hawaii and Paris due to shows like White Lotus and Emily in Paris.

He said: “It’s based on searches, so we can see that the travel interest is there and then we just need to see that that is continuing going into summer.

“But I’m expecting higher numbers than last year, definitely.”

Behind the scenes of One Day filming at Edinburgh University. Supplied

This week, Screen Scotland announced plans to continue making Scotland a destination for film and TV production, with the hopes of boosting the industry here.

Isabel Davis, executive director at Screen Scotland said: “If you look at the success of Outlander it’s absolutely incredible how that show has put Scotland on the map, again with One Day – you know, you just show Edinburgh in that and suddenly everyone’s looking at when they can next come up, we are such a beautiful country.

“But we also want to see a lot of that production growth come from local projects as well.”