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On one of the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's ancient city stands a imposing sight of metal poles and platforms.

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

Visitors are unable to reserve stays, walkers are directed through confined passages, and businesses have left the building.

Remedial work started in 2020 and was initially projected to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The main contractor, the primary firm, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the frame can be dismantled.

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

What is going on with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The sizeable hotel was constructed on the site of the old regional authority offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it first opened under the a fashion-branded banner, put the development expense at about thirty million pounds.

Construction activity began shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A section of the street and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been closed off by the work.

People on foot going to and from the an adjacent district and a neighboring street have been forced single-file into a narrow, covered walkway.

A dining establishment Ondine quit the building and moved to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a release, its management said building work had obliged them to modify the restaurant's appearance, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also the location of popular eatery a pizza restaurant – which has placed large signs on the scaffold to notify customers it is still open.

Missed Deadlines

An communication to the a local authority committee in the start of the year stated that the process of "revealing" the exterior would commence in February, with a complete dismantling by the close of the year.

But the contractor has said that will not happen, referencing "extremely complex" building problems for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to take down sections of the framework close to the conclusion of next year, with additional work continuing thereafter," a statement read.

"We are working closely with everyone involved to ensure we deliver an enhanced site for the community."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, lead of heritage body the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

She said those working on the project had a "public duty" to lessen disruption and should incorporate the work into the city's design.

She said: "It is making the walking experience in that area of the city exceptionally challenging.

"It is puzzling why there is not a try to integrate it into the urban landscape or create something more creative and innovative."

Project Response

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

They stated: "We understand the annoyances felt by nearby inhabitants and enterprises.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, demonstrating the intricacy and magnitude of the repair work required, however we are committed to concluding this essential work as soon as is feasible."

The official said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those involved to finish the project.

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

"That said, I also recognize that the company has a duty to make the building secure and that this remediation has proved to be hugely complex."