2 Weeks in UK @ 3 Days in Edinburgh - One Day Filming Spots & Exploring More of Edinburgh

It’s been almost a month since I last updated my blog.
Life has been a little too busy lately, and between work, daily life and everything else, I just haven’t had much time to sit down, edit photos and write.
Looking back at this year, I realised I haven’t travelled as much as I thought I would.

Work has been keeping me pretty occupied, and sometimes it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in a day to do everything I want.
I did manage to squeeze in a short trip to Singapore recently, though, just to attend Byeon Woo-seok’s fan meeting.

It was only a few days away, but honestly, little trips like this are so good for the soul.

Sometimes, all you need is a short break from your usual routine to recharge and do something you love.
Anyway, I really want to get back to blogging and finish documenting our UK family trip.

There are still so many memories I haven’t written about, and I don’t want to leave this series unfinished! My goal is to complete it by the end of this year, or hopefully even by the end of this month, so I can move on to sharing some of my other trips before 2026 comes to an end.
So, let’s pick up where we left off!
We’re now on Day 3 in Edinburgh, with another day of exploring ahead. Let’s see where we went next!

First Stop: The Vennel

Our first stop on Day 3 was The Vennel, a famous spot in Edinburgh known for its beautiful view of Edinburgh Castle.

To get there, we had to walk up a flight of stairs, but the view at the top was definitely worth the effort. From here, the stairs lead your eyes straight towards Edinburgh Castle, with the historic buildings and the castle rising beautifully in the background.
The view was so well framed that it almost looked like a postcard!

Interestingly, these stairs have recently been renamed the Miss Jean Brodie Steps, marking 100 years since the birth of Muriel Spark, the author who created the character Miss Jean Brodie.

Of course, we couldn't just admire the view and leave. We stayed here for a while, taking photos from different angles and trying out different poses.

It was such a nice spot for castle photos, and I could understand why so many people come here just to capture this view.
If you're visiting Edinburgh and want a beautiful view of the castle without having to enter it, The Vennel is definitely worth adding to your list!

When walking down from The Vennel, we came across Mary’s Milk Bar, a little ice cream shop that I had actually noticed on our first day in Edinburgh.
I remember seeing a long queue outside the shop when we passed by, which made me curious about the ice cream.
Since so many people were willing to wait for it, I thought it must be worth trying!
Luckily, we were there quite early in the morning this time, and there was hardly anyone queuing.

I guess most people weren't thinking about ice cream so early in the day!

So, we took the opportunity to get some without having to wait.

The ice cream was creamy and smooth, with a lovely rich flavour that wasn't overly sweet.

What makes Mary’s Milk Bar special is its Italian-style gelato, made fresh in small batches, with different flavours to choose from.

Depending on the flavour, you can get anything from fruity and refreshing to rich and chocolatey.

If you're visiting The Vennel, you can consider stopping by Mary’s Milk Bar too.

Just remember that opening hours and queues may vary, so it's worth checking before you go.

Edinburgh Castle

After spending some time at The Vennel, we continued walking towards Edinburgh Castle.

Now, I know some people might think it's a waste to visit Edinburgh without going inside the castle, especially since it is one of the city's most famous attractions.
But in our case, most of my family weren't particularly interested in exploring the castle's interior, and I had visited it before on my previous trip to Edinburgh.
So, I decided not to pay for another round of admission tickets.

Instead, we simply enjoyed the views from outside and took some photos with the castle.
Honestly, I didn't mind skipping the interior this time.
Since I had already explored it before, I was happy to experience Edinburgh at a more relaxed pace with my family.

After all, travelling together is also about finding activities that everyone can enjoy, rather than visiting every attraction just for the sake of ticking it off a list.
And of course, we couldn't leave without taking a few photos with this iconic Edinburgh landmark in the background!

After taking our photos outside Edinburgh Castle, we spent a little more time enjoying the views around the area.

Even without going inside the castle, there was still plenty to admire.

From up here, we could see beautiful views over Edinburgh, with rows of historic buildings, rooftops and streets stretching across the city.

The view was especially lovely under the blue sky, and it was nice to see the city from a higher viewpoint.

One thing I really enjoyed about Edinburgh was simply walking around the city, from one street to another, and taking in all the beautiful architecture along the way.

The city is full of historic stone buildings, old-fashioned windows, charming doorways and beautiful details that you don't always notice at first glance.

Even the ordinary streets have so much character, and I often found myself stopping to take photos whenever a building caught my eye.

I love how the old buildings stand side by side, creating such a unique and timeless atmosphere.

With the blue sky and sunshine during our visit, everything looked even more beautiful.
We didn't have to rush from one attraction to another all the time.

Sometimes, just wandering around, looking at the buildings and enjoying the streets was already a lovely part of the trip.

These are the little moments that make me appreciate a city beyond its famous landmarks.

University of Edinburgh

We then slowly made our way towards the University of Edinburgh, and to our surprise, we realized that we had stumbled upon another filming location from One Day!

We honestly didn't plan it this way, so it was such a nice surprise to find ourselves walking through a place that looked so familiar from the show.
As fans of One Day, seeing these locations in real life made the experience feel extra special.

It was fun to recognize the familiar scenery and imagine Emma and Dexter being here.

Sometimes, the best travel moments are the unexpected ones.
We were simply wandering around Edinburgh, and somehow, we ended up discovering another place connected to a show we love.
It made our little walk even more memorable!

Greyfriars Bobby

As we continued exploring Edinburgh, we passed by Greyfriars Bobby, one of the city's most famous landmarks.

Our friend Zay told all of us to touch Bobby's nose for good luck, so of course, we followed along!

Bobby was a loyal little dog who became famous for reportedly spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, after he passed away in 1858.

His touching story of loyalty made him a beloved figure in Edinburgh, and a statue was erected in his memory in 1873.
Over time, touching Bobby's nose became a popular tradition among visitors hoping for good luck.

Thanks to Zay, we all got our little good-luck moment before continuing our Edinburgh adventure!

Eating out in the UK, especially in tourist areas, can be quite expensive.

And with eight of us travelling together, finding a reasonably priced place for lunch was always a little challenge. Luckily, Zay had a great suggestion, why not try a local pub?

That was how we ended up at The Caley Picture House.

I really enjoy this kind of pub because there's usually a wide range of food and drinks to choose from, along with a cosy atmosphere.

This one was especially nice, with air-conditioning and a comfortable environment where we could sit down, relax and enjoy our meal after all the walking.

Honestly, if we hadn't had a local friend to bring us here, I probably wouldn't have discovered this kind of place on my own.

It's always nice to find somewhere that offers good value without having to spend too much in a tourist city.

I ordered a burger set for around £12, which I thought was pretty reasonable for Edinburgh.
A good meal, a comfortable place to rest, and a price that didn't hurt our wallets too much, definitely a good lunch stop for our big group!

Forres Street

After lunch, we made our way to Forres Street, our last stop for the day before sending our friend Zay back to Glasgow.

The main reason we came here was, of course, One Day!

As fans of the show, we wanted to visit as many of its filming locations around Edinburgh as possible.

It was exciting to see these familiar places in real life, especially when we had watched them on screen so many times before.

Forres Street is one of the locations featured in the story, and we were excited to see the familiar surroundings for ourselves.
As we walked around, we couldn't help thinking about the scenes from the show and imagining the characters being there.
It's funny how a place that might seem like just another street to someone else can mean so much more when it's connected to a story you love.
Looking back, I think that's one of the things I enjoyed most about exploring Edinburgh.
Apart from its beautiful old buildings and famous landmarks, discovering these One Day filming locations made our trip feel more personal and memorable.

And just like we did at the other One Day filming locations, Lik and I couldn't resist pretending to be Emma and Dexter again!

We tried to recreate the same poses from the show, taking photos in the exact spots and copying their scenes as closely as we could.

It might have looked a little silly to others, but we had so much fun doing it!

My niece Ashley is also a big fan of One Day, so this little filming-location adventure wasn't just for me.

We were happy to visit these familiar places together and create our own little memories along the way!

After spending the day exploring Edinburgh, we sent Zay back to Glasgow.

It was really nice having her join us for the day, especially since she knew the city well and brought us to some of the One Day filming locations we wanted to see.

When we arrived in Glasgow, Zay brought us to a nearby park close to her workplace to see the Highland cows!

It was such a lovely little bonus to our day.

After spending so much time exploring the city and visiting filming locations, getting to see these fluffy cows was a completely different experience.

Of course, we couldn't resist taking photos of them before calling it a day!

To end our long day, we had a lovely Chinese dinner at The Asian, a restaurant owned by Zay's friend.

It was a cozy place in Glasgow serving authentic Chinese and Malaysian food, which felt a little like home after days of exploring the UK.

It was nice to sit down, relax and enjoy a proper Asian meal together after such a packed day. Sometimes, no matter how much we enjoy trying local food while travelling, a familiar taste from home is always comforting.

Everything on the table was sooo yummy!

We enjoyed every dish, and honestly, it made us miss Chinese food from home so much.

As much as we loved trying different food during our UK trip, nothing beats a good Chinese meal that reminds us of home.

It was such a satisfying dinner, and we truly appreciated the effort they put into preparing everything for us!

We truly appreciated the warm hospitality and the effort they put into preparing such a wonderful dinner for us.
With seven of us travelling together, it meant a lot that they took the time to welcome us and make sure we had a lovely meal.
Everything felt so warm and welcoming, almost like having dinner with friends rather than simply eating at a restaurant.
A big thank you to Zay, Emily and Beethoven for making us feel so welcome and for such a memorable evening in Glasgow.
We really appreciated your kindness and hospitality!
Hopefully, we'll get to meet again soon, either in Malaysia or Scotland. Fingers crossed!

And that's all for our third day in Edinburgh and our little adventure in Glasgow!

It was such a memorable day, from visiting the One Day filming locations and recreating scenes as Emma and Dexter, to discovering the famous Greyfriars Bobby statue and enjoying a lovely dinner with Zay and her friends in Glasgow.

Having Zay show us around made the day even more special, and we're so grateful for the time and warm hospitality she and her friends shared with us.

Sometimes, it's not just the places we visit that make a trip memorable, but also the people we meet and the little moments we share along the way.

Edinburgh has given us so many lovely memories, and I'm glad we got to explore a little of Glasgow too.

There's still more of our UK family trip to share, so stay tuned for the next part!