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Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre stands a giant structure of scaffolding.

For half a decade, a prominent hotel on the corner of the famous Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Visitors cannot book rooms, walkers are funneled through tight corridors, and commercial tenants have abandoned the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a short period, but now exasperated residents have been told the scaffolding could stay in place until 2027.

Further Delays

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

A local authority figure a council official has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

A Problematic Past

The sizeable hotel was developed on the site of the former Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Figures from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the build cost at about £30m.

Work on the building got underway shortly after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of pavement leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the work.

Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and Victoria Terrace have been required one after another into a tight, enclosed passage.

A dining establishment Ondine departed from the building and moved to another city in 2024.

In a comment, its owners said the ongoing project had obliged them to alter the restaurant's appearance, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of popular eatery Pizza Express – which has placed large signs on the structure to remind customers it is open for business.

Delayed Plans

An report to the a city committee in early this year suggested that the process of "revealing" the frontage would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end.

But SRM has said that is incorrect, citing "highly complicated" construction issues for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to take down parts of the framework near the finish of 2026, with further improvements ongoing after that," the company commented.

"We are working closely with everyone involved to ensure we deliver an enhanced site for the local area."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of heritage body the Cockburn Association, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "protracted" for development.

She said those associated with the project had a "public duty" to minimise disturbance and should blend the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It causes the walking experience in that section exceptionally challenging.

"It is perplexing why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the streetscape or produce something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Project Response

A project spokesperson said work on "solutions to beautify the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We acknowledge the irritations felt by nearby inhabitants and shops.

"This has been a long and drawn-out process, reflecting the intricacy and scale of the restoration required, however we are focused on completing this essential work as soon as is practicable."

The official said the city would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a negative presence for years, and I understand the frustration of residents and area enterprises over these continued delays.

"However, I also appreciate that the contractor has a duty to make the building secure and that this repair has been hugely complex."