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On one of the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a imposing sight of construction framework.

For half a decade, a prominent hotel on the junction of the famous Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Visitors find no available accommodations, walkers are directed through confined passages, and establishments have left the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the initial parts of the scaffold can be taken down.

Edinburgh's council leader a city representative has called it a "blight" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is happening with this seemingly endless project?

A Troubled History

The establishment with 136 rooms was built on the site of the previous Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Projections from when it initially debuted under the a designer banner, put the development expense at about £30m.

Work on the building got underway soon after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A section of the street and a large section of footpath leading up to the intersection of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the development.

Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been required in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

A dining establishment a well-known restaurant departed from the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

In a comment, its management said the ongoing project had forced them to alter the restaurant's look, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also home to dining franchise a pizza restaurant – which has placed large signs on the structure to notify customers it is open for business.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in January this year stated that the process of "exposing" the exterior would start in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But SRM has said that will not happen, citing "highly complicated" structural challenges for the postponement.

"We anticipate starting to dismantle portions of the scaffold towards the end of the coming year, with additional work continuing thereafter," they said.

"We are collaborating closely with everyone involved to ensure we provide an enhanced site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, director of conservation group the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

She said those involved in the project had a "public duty" to lessen disturbance and should blend the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It renders the experience for those on foot in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

"It is perplexing why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the urban landscape or produce something more aesthetic and cutting-edge."

Continued Work

A company representative said work on "solutions to beautify the site" was continuing.

They added: "We acknowledge the irritations felt by local residents and enterprises.

"This represents a extended and complex process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the remedial work required, however we are dedicated to concluding this necessary work as soon as is possible."

The official said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those responsible to complete the project.

She said: "This framework has been a problem for years, and I share the annoyance of residents and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"However, I also acknowledge that the firm has a obligation to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has turned out to be exceptionally difficult."