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Positioned on the most frequented avenues in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a imposing sight of metal poles and platforms.

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the junction of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Tourists find no available accommodations, pedestrians are funneled through confined passages, and commercial tenants have vacated the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was initially projected to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the framework could remain until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the frame can be taken down.

Edinburgh's council leader Jane Meagher has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this apparently perpetual project?

A Problematic Past

The 136-bedroom hotel was developed on the site of the old local government offices in 2009.

Projections from when it originally launched under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

Remedial efforts began soon after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

Part of the road and a significant portion of footpath leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the work.

People on foot going to and from the an adjacent district and Victoria Terrace have been compelled in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant a popular spot left the building and transferred to another city in 2024.

In a release, its owners said construction activity had compelled them to modify the restaurant's look, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also the location of popular eatery a chain – which has placed large notices on the scaffold to inform customers it is operating as usual.

Delayed Plans

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

But SRM has said that is incorrect, referencing "extremely complex" structural challenges for the setback.

"We anticipate starting to take down sections of the scaffold towards the end of the coming year, with further improvements continuing thereafter," they said.

"We are working closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we provide an better site for the local area."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, head of conservation group the an advocacy group, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

She said those working on the project had a "obligation to the public" to minimise disturbance and should blend the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It causes the walking experience in that section very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not some attempt to incorporate it within the streetscape or produce something more aesthetic and innovative."

Project Response

A project spokesperson said work on "measures to enhance the appearance the site" was in progress.

They added: "We acknowledge the irritations felt by the community and businesses.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, demonstrating the complexity and size of the remedial work required, however we are committed to concluding this essential work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the city would "keep applying pressure" on those responsible to wrap up the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a problem for years, and I share the frustration of residents and nearby shops over these continued delays.

"Nonetheless, I also appreciate that the firm has a obligation to make the building structurally sound and that this repair has proved to be hugely complex."