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Positioned on the most popular thoroughfares in the heart of Scotland's ancient city sits a giant structure of construction framework.

For the past 60 months, the establishment on the intersection of a key historic street and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Visitors find no available accommodations, foot traffic are directed through confined passages, and establishments have abandoned the building.

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

Prolonged Deadlines

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

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

What is going on with this seemingly endless project?

A Troubled History

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

Figures from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the build cost at about thirty million pounds.

Construction activity began shortly after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been closed off by the work.

Walkers going to and from the Lawnmarket and a neighboring street have been compelled single-file into a narrow, covered walkway.

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

In a statement, its operators said the ongoing project had forced them to change the restaurant's facade, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also the location of popular eatery Pizza Express – which has placed large signs on the framework to notify customers it is operating as usual.

Delayed Plans

An report to the a city committee in early this year stated that the process of "revealing" the exterior would start in February, with a total takedown by the year's end.

But the contractor has said that is not the case, referencing "exceptionally intricate" building problems for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to take down parts of the scaffold towards the end of 2026, with further improvements ongoing after that," they said.

"We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we deliver an improved site for the public."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, director of heritage body the an advocacy group, 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 "public duty" to reduce disturbance and should integrate the work into the city's streetscape.

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

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

Ongoing Efforts

A official statement said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was continuing.

They stated: "We understand the annoyances felt by the community and shops.

"This has been a extended and complex process, reflecting the intricacy and scale of the restoration required, however we are committed to finishing this vital work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the city would "continue to put pressure" on those involved to finish the project.

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

"That said, I also recognize that the company has a responsibility to make the building safe and that this repair has proved to be exceptionally difficult."