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On one of the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's ancient city looms a giant structure of scaffolding.

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the intersection of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Travellers find no available accommodations, foot traffic are squeezed through confined passages, and businesses have left the building.

Remedial work began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a short period, but now exasperated residents have been told the structure could remain until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The main contractor, the lead company, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the initial parts of the frame can be taken down.

The city's political leader Jane Meagher has labeled it a "negative feature" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is happening with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The sizeable hotel was developed on the site of the previous regional authority offices in 2009.

Projections from when it first opened under the a designer banner, put the build cost at about £30m.

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

Part of the road and a significant portion of pavement leading up to the junction of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the project.

Pedestrians going to and from the an adjacent district and Victoria Terrace have been compelled single-file into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant a well-known restaurant departed from the building and transferred to a different location in 2024.

In a statement, its operators said construction activity had compelled them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also home to dining franchise Pizza Express – which has placed large signs on the structure to remind customers it is open for business.

Missed Deadlines

An communication to the a local authority committee in January this year stated that the process of "uncovering" the façade would begin in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that is incorrect, referencing "exceptionally intricate" building problems for the delay.

"We project starting to dismantle portions of the scaffold near the finish of next year, with additional work ongoing after that," the company commented.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, lead of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

She said those associated with the project had a "obligation to the public" to lessen disturbance and should integrate the work into the city's design.

She said: "It is making the experience for those on foot in that section very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not a try to bring it into the street view or produce something more creative and cutting-edge."

Project Response

A official statement said work on "ideas to beautify the site" was in progress.

They continued: "We recognize the irritations felt by the community and enterprises.

"This constitutes a lengthy and protracted process, demonstrating the difficulty and magnitude of the remedial work required, however we are committed to finishing this necessary work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those responsible to complete the project.

She said: "This framework has been a blight for years, and I share the annoyance of inhabitants and area enterprises over these continued delays.

"However, I also recognize that the firm has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has proved to be exceptionally difficult."