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On one of the most frequented avenues in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre stands a imposing sight of scaffolding.

For half a decade, a prominent hotel on the intersection of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Visitors cannot book rooms, foot traffic are funneled through confined passages, and businesses have abandoned the building.

Remedial work commenced in 2020 and was initially projected to last a short period, but now exasperated residents have been told the scaffolding could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the primary firm, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the initial parts of the frame can be dismantled.

Edinburgh's council leader a city representative has called it a "blight" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is happening with this seemingly endless project?

A Problematic Past

The sizeable hotel was developed on the site of the former regional authority offices in 2009.

Figures from when it initially debuted under the a designer banner, put the development expense at about a significant sum.

Work on the building began soon after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

Part of the road and a large section of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the Royal Mile have been left out of action by the work.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been compelled in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

A dining establishment a well-known restaurant departed from the building and relocated to a different location in 2024.

In a release, its management said building work had obliged them to modify the restaurant's appearance, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also the location of restaurant chain a chain – which has hung large banners on the structure to inform customers it is still open.

Delayed Plans

An communication to the a city committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "exposing" the façade would start in February, with a full removal by the year's end.

But SRM has said that is not the case, referencing "exceptionally intricate" structural challenges for the delay.

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

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

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

She said those working on the project had a "civic responsibility" to reduce inconvenience and should integrate the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It is making the pedestrian experience in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

"I don't understand why there is not a try to integrate it into the street view or develop something more artistic and cutting-edge."

Ongoing Efforts

A project spokesperson said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was continuing.

They continued: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by the community and businesses.

"This constitutes a long and drawn-out process, reflecting the difficulty and scale of the repair work required, however we are dedicated to concluding this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

The official said the council would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I echo the exasperation of residents and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also appreciate that the company has a responsibility to make the building secure and that this remediation has proved to be exceptionally difficult."