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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's ancient city looms a imposing sight of construction framework.

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

Travellers find no available accommodations, pedestrians are directed through confined passages, and businesses have left the building.

Repair work commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the scaffolding could remain until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The main contractor, the main contractor, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the structure can be taken down.

The city's political leader a council official has described it as a "negative feature" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is happening with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

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

Projections from when it initially debuted under the a fashion-branded banner, put the build cost at about £30m.

Remedial efforts began soon after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

Part of the road and a large section of pavement leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been left out of action by the project.

Walkers going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been forced one after another into a narrow, covered walkway.

A dining establishment a popular spot left the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

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

It is also home to popular eatery a chain – which has hung large signs on the scaffold to inform customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

An update to the a local authority committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "exposing" the façade would begin in February, with a full removal by the close of the year.

But the contractor has said that will not happen, referencing "highly complicated" construction issues for the setback.

"We anticipate starting to take down portions of the scaffold close to the conclusion of 2026, with further improvements proceeding afterwards," they said.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

A conservation official, lead of heritage body the Cockburn Association, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "slow" for urban works.

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

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

"It is perplexing why there is not some attempt to bring it into the streetscape or produce something more artistic and cutting-edge."

Ongoing Efforts

A official statement said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We acknowledge the annoyances felt by local residents and shops.

"This represents a extended and complex process, demonstrating the intricacy and size of the remedial work required, however we are focused on finishing this essential work as soon as is possible."

The council leader said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those responsible to finish the project.

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

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the firm has a obligation to make the building safe and that this restoration has turned out to be extremely complicated."