Read the book, seen the film? Find a former lover and spend 24 hours in Scotland’s capital

Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway in One Day

The novel has been hailed a literary phenomenon, sold more than a million copies in the UK since it was published in 2009, and inspired a generation to consider hunting down a long-lost love “just in case”.

Now David Nicholls’ One Day has had the Hollywood treatment, bringing some of its most memorable moments to the big screen.

The story follows dowdy Yorkshire lass Emma Morley and charismatic ladies’ man Dexter Mayhew on a 20-year journey of romance and friendship that’s guaranteed to leave you sobbing into your sleeve.

On screen, we meet the couple in Edinburgh’s Parliament Square, as they stumble home from their graduation celebrations, so it seemed the perfect point from which to begin my own One Day in the city.

The square sits off the Royal Mile, a street that runs from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyrood Palace (the Queen’s official residence in Scotland) and it’s a famous tourist magnet.

Sidestepping the many tartan and shortbread gift shops, I take a short walk to another location in the film, Victoria Terrace.

This split-level street is one of the most distinctive in the city and fantastic for photos. The lower level (Victoria Street) is lined with quirky little shops and cafes with brightly coloured facades, and from the terrace above you can watch the hustle and bustle below.

As daylight threatened, Emma and Dexter made for the cover of her flat in the student suburb of Newington, a stone’s throw from one of the story’s most romantic settings – Holyrood Park.

Holyrood Park

Like a piece of the Scottish Highlands in the middle of the capital, these 650 acres of parkland are all lochs, glens and windswept hills. At the centre stands Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano that looms above the skyline.

Even Dexter, with his policy of not appearing impressed by anything, considers the view from the top “magnificent”, and I had to agree. Clambering around the hillside and up onto the Salisbury Crags, I could see for miles, the city spread out beneath me, from the ancient castle in the distance to the post-modern Parliament building just below.

After their hike up the hill, Emma and Dexter head to his flat in the city’s New Town, but before I attempted their race down the steps of Warriston Close, I decided to check out the Edinburgh of yesteryear.

Mary King’s Close is buried beneath the Royal Mile. In the 1600s the city’s leaders built over these 17th century streets, using them as the foundations for the City Chambers building, home to the City Council, but before that, they housed thousands.

Conditions were grim: filth covered the streets, rats ran riot and the plague ensured agonising deaths for many. Being down in those steep, narrow, claustrophobic closes (the Scottish name for an underground street) gave a flavour of how different and difficult life would have been.

History lesson done, I set off on the short walk to the elegant surroundings of the Georgian New Town, in time for a spot of lunch.

Boutique tea shop Eteaket is where I could imagine Dexter taking his glamorous mother when she came to visit. A baffling number of teas are on offer, with delicious home-made cakes, served in the prettiest vintage tea sets.

Refreshed, I ventured through the New Town, circling past Dexter’s Fettes Row flat back to Moray Place and Forres Street, home to some of the best-preserved examples of Georgian architecture in Europe – and the site of that kiss, captured in the movie’s promotional posters. You can pose for a snap snogging on the cobbles, but beware of the traffic. The road was closed for filming and it’s unlikely bus drivers will appreciate being held up as you recreate that shot.

The Edinburgh scenes were filmed in five days in August 2010, and getting those shots meant a lot of legwork for the crew.

As well as hiking up Arthur’s Seat, they climbed Calton Hill in the dark to capture one of the beautiful scene-setting sunrise shots.

Tired from my earlier hike around Holyrood Park, I opted instead for the recently re-opened National Museum of Scotland.

More than 20,000 objects are contained in 36 galleries in a magnificent Victorian building. They spent £46m on the renovation and it’s worth every penny.

The Grand Gallery is like a giant glass birdcage with natural light flooding the four-storey atrium, creating a wonderful sense of space and calm. The collection here is vast and varied, from Dolly the sheep, to the Lewis Chessmen, Scotland’s most significant archaeological discovery.

At the end of my very busy One Day in Edinburgh, I felt I’d earned a glass of wine.

I plumped for the Rutland Hotel at the west end of Princes Street. After a delicious dinner in the upstairs restaurant, I retired to the ground level Style Bar.

As I sank into an expertly prepared cocktail, I could almost see Emma scowling. Dexter would have approved.

Travel guide

• Claire Walker was a guest of Visit Scotland and Marketing Edinburgh. She stayed at the Holiday Inn Edinburgh, City-West, which offers two-night autumn breaks (B&B), based on two sharing from £130. For reservations call 0131 472 2024 or visit www.holidayinn.com

• For destination information, visit www.visitscotland.com/surprise and www.thisismyedinburgh.com or call Visit Scotland on 0845 225 5121.