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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre looms a giant structure of metal poles and platforms.

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

Tourists find no available accommodations, pedestrians are directed through confined passages, and commercial tenants have vacated the building.

Repair work began in 2020 and was initially projected to last a brief duration, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could remain until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the first sections of the frame can be taken down.

The city's political leader Jane Meagher has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

A Troubled History

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the previous regional authority offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it originally launched under the a designer banner, put the build cost at about a significant sum.

Construction activity began soon after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a significant portion of sidewalk leading up to the intersection of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the project.

People on foot going to and from the an adjacent district and a neighboring street have been required one after another into a tight, enclosed passage.

An eatery a well-known restaurant departed from the building and moved to another city in 2024.

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

It is also the location of restaurant chain a chain – which has displayed large notices on the scaffold to inform customers it is operating as usual.

Slipped Schedules

An report to the a local authority committee in early this year stated that the process of "uncovering" the frontage would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end.

But SRM has said that will not happen, pointing to "exceptionally intricate" structural challenges for the setback.

"We anticipate starting to take down parts of the structure towards the end of the coming year, with further improvements ongoing after that," the company commented.

"We are working closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we provide an improved site for the community."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, head of conservation group the an advocacy group, said the work had contributed to 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 blend the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It is making the walking experience in that section very hard.

"It is perplexing why there is not a try to integrate it into the street view or produce something more artistic and innovative."

Project Response

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

They added: "We recognize the annoyances felt by the community and enterprises.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the repair work required, however we are focused on finishing this vital work as soon as is feasible."

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

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

"However, I also recognize that the contractor has a obligation to make the building safe and that this repair has been extremely complicated."