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Positioned on the most frequented avenues in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre stands a giant structure of scaffolding.

For five years, a prominent hotel on the intersection of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Visitors find no available accommodations, walkers are directed through narrow walkways, and commercial tenants have vacated the building.

Remedial work commenced in 2020 and was initially projected to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the scaffolding could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

The main contractor, the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the first sections of the frame can be taken down.

The city's political leader a council official has labeled it a "negative feature" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The 136-bedroom hotel was built on the site of the previous Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the development expense at about £30m.

Remedial efforts began not long after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

Part of the road and a sizable stretch of pavement leading up to the intersection of the tourist drag have been closed off by the project.

People on foot going to and from the a nearby area and another locale have been forced one after another into a confined, sheltered corridor.

Seafood restaurant Ondine quit the building and transferred to a different location in 2024.

In a statement, its owners said construction activity had obliged them to change the restaurant's facade, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of popular eatery a pizza restaurant – which has displayed large signs on the scaffold to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "revealing" the façade would begin in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that will not happen, citing "highly complicated" construction issues for the postponement.

"We expect starting to dismantle sections of the scaffold towards the end of 2026, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," they said.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

A conservation official, head of conservation group the a local association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

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

She said: "It is making the pedestrian experience in that part of town very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not an effort to bring it into the street view or produce something more artistic and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

A project spokesperson said work on "ideas to aesthetically improve the site" was continuing.

They stated: "We understand the annoyances felt by local residents and businesses.

"This constitutes a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the repair work required, however we are focused on completing this essential work as soon as is possible."

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

She said: "This structure has been a negative presence for years, and I understand the annoyance of residents and nearby shops over these ongoing postponements.

"That said, I also recognize that the contractor has a obligation to make the building structurally sound and that this repair has been exceptionally difficult."