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Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre looms a monolith of scaffolding.

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

Visitors are unable to reserve stays, walkers are directed through tight corridors, and businesses have abandoned the building.

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

Prolonged Deadlines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the primary firm, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be dismantled.

The city's political leader Jane Meagher has labeled it a "eyesore" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is happening with this notoriously protracted project?

A Troubled History

The sizeable hotel was developed on the site of the former Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

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

Construction activity started not long after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of pavement leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been closed off by the project.

Walkers going to and from the Lawnmarket and Victoria Terrace have been required in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant Ondine quit the building and transferred to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

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

It is also hosts restaurant chain a chain – which has placed large signs on the structure to notify customers it is open for business.

Delayed Plans

An communication to the a local authority committee in the start of the year indicated that the process of "revealing" the exterior would begin in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that is incorrect, citing "exceptionally intricate" construction issues for the delay.

"We project starting to remove parts of the scaffold near the finish of next year, with further improvements continuing thereafter," a statement read.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, director of preservation association the an advocacy group, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

She said those associated with the project had a "civic responsibility" to minimise inconvenience and should blend the work into the city's design.

She said: "It causes the experience for those on foot in that section exceptionally challenging.

"It is perplexing why there is not an effort to incorporate it within the streetscape or produce something more creative and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

A company representative said work on "solutions to enhance the appearance the site" was ongoing.

They added: "We acknowledge the irritations felt by nearby inhabitants and shops.

"This represents a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the intricacy and magnitude of the repair work required, however we are dedicated to completing this necessary work as soon as is possible."

The council leader said the council would "continue to put pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a problem for years, and I echo the annoyance of residents and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups.

"Nonetheless, I also acknowledge that the firm has a obligation to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has turned out to be hugely complex."