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Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a giant structure of scaffolding.

For five years, a prominent hotel on the junction of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Travellers cannot book rooms, walkers are funneled through tight corridors, and establishments have left the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a brief duration, but now frustrated residents have been told the scaffolding could remain until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

The construction firm, 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 Jane Meagher has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "very troublesome".

What is transpiring with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

The establishment with 136 rooms was constructed on the site of the old regional authority offices in 2009.

Projections from when it first opened under the a designer banner, put the cost of construction at about a significant sum.

Construction activity started not long after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a significant portion of pavement leading up to the junction of the historic street have been closed off by the project.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and a neighboring street have been compelled single-file into a confined, sheltered corridor.

An eatery a popular spot departed from the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

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

It is also the location of restaurant chain Pizza Express – which has placed large signs on the scaffold to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An update to the a city committee in early this year stated that the process of "uncovering" the exterior would start in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that is incorrect, referencing "highly complicated" structural challenges for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to dismantle sections of the structure close to the conclusion of 2026, with subsequent enhancements ongoing after that," they said.

"Efforts are underway closely with all parties to ensure we create an better site for the local area."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A conservation official, lead of preservation association the a local association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "protracted" for development.

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

She said: "It renders the pedestrian experience in that area of the city exceptionally challenging.

"It is puzzling why there is not an effort to bring it into the streetscape or create something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A company representative said work on "measures to beautify the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We recognize the frustrations felt by nearby inhabitants and enterprises.

"This has been a lengthy and protracted process, demonstrating the difficulty and magnitude of the restoration required, however we are focused on finishing this vital work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the council would "continue to put pressure" on those accountable to complete the project.

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

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the firm has a duty to make the building safe and that this remediation has turned out to be exceptionally difficult."