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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's historic capital looms a giant structure of scaffolding.

For five years, a prominent hotel on the intersection of a key historic street and George IV Bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Tourists cannot book rooms, walkers are directed through tight corridors, and businesses have left the building.

Remedial work began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a short period, but now frustrated residents have been told the framework could stay in place until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

The main contractor, the main contractor, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the initial parts of the scaffold can be removed.

A local authority figure a city representative has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

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

Projections from when it initially debuted under the a designer banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

Work on the building started not long after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a large section of sidewalk 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 another locale have been forced in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant a well-known restaurant left the building and moved to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

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

It is also the location of restaurant chain a chain – which has placed large notices on the structure to inform customers it is open for business.

Missed Deadlines

An update to the a city committee in the start of the year indicated that the process of "revealing" the façade would begin in February, with a complete dismantling by the end of the year.

But SRM has said that is not the case, referencing "extremely complex" structural challenges for the setback.

"We project starting to remove sections of the framework close to the conclusion of next year, with subsequent enhancements ongoing after that," they said.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

Rowan Brown, lead of conservation group the Cockburn Association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "slow" for development.

She said those working on the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen disturbance and should incorporate the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It renders the pedestrian experience in that area of the city really difficult.

"It is puzzling why there is not a try to bring it into the urban landscape or create something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

A company representative said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was ongoing.

They added: "We understand the irritations felt by nearby inhabitants and enterprises.

"This represents a long and drawn-out process, highlighting the complexity and magnitude of the remedial work required, however we are focused on finishing this necessary work as soon as is practicable."

The official said the city would "continue to put pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a negative presence for years, and I echo the annoyance of inhabitants and area enterprises over these ongoing postponements.

"That said, I also appreciate that the firm has a obligation to make the building secure and that this repair has turned out to be extremely complicated."