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

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the corner of the famous Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Visitors cannot book rooms, foot traffic are squeezed through narrow walkways, and businesses have left the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the structure could stay in place until 2027.

Extended Timelines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the primary firm, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the first sections of the structure can be removed.

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

What is going on with this notoriously protracted project?

Background Issues

The sizeable hotel was constructed on the site of the old local government offices in 2009.

Projections from when it originally launched under the a designer banner, put the development expense at about thirty million pounds.

Work on the building started not long 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 pavement leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the development.

People on foot going to and from the Lawnmarket and a neighboring street have been forced in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

A dining establishment a popular spot left the building and transferred to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

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

It is also home to restaurant chain a pizza restaurant – which has hung large banners on the scaffold to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An communication to the council's transport and environment committee in early this year suggested that the process of "exposing" the exterior would begin in February, with a total takedown by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that will not happen, referencing "highly complicated" building problems for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to remove parts of the scaffold near the finish of next year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," they said.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, head of conservation group the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "protracted" for urban works.

She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to minimise disruption and should blend the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It is making the pedestrian experience in that section very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not some attempt to incorporate it within the street view or create something more artistic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A company representative said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress.

They stated: "We recognize the frustrations felt by local residents and shops.

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

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

She said: "This framework has been a blight for years, and I echo the frustration of locals and nearby shops over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also appreciate that the company has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this remediation has proved to be extremely complicated."