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Positioned on the most frequented avenues in the core of Scotland's historic capital sits a giant structure 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, foot traffic are directed through narrow walkways, and businesses have abandoned the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the scaffolding could remain until 2027.

Further Delays

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

Edinburgh's council leader Jane Meagher has described it as a "blight" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

A Problematic Past

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

Figures from when it first opened under the a fashion-branded banner, put the cost of construction at about a significant sum.

Work on the building began soon after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

Part of the road and a large section of footpath leading up to the intersection of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the development.

Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been forced one after another into a confined, sheltered corridor.

A dining establishment a well-known restaurant quit the building and transferred to a different location in 2024.

In a statement, its operators said the ongoing project had obliged them to modify the restaurant's look, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also home to popular eatery a pizza restaurant – which has hung large signs on the scaffold to inform customers it is operating as usual.

Slipped Schedules

An update to the a local authority committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "exposing" the frontage would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the close of the year.

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

"We project starting to dismantle parts of the scaffold close to the conclusion of 2026, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," a statement read.

"We are collaborating closely with all parties to ensure we deliver an improved site for the local area."

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, lead of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "slow" for urban works.

She said those working on the project had a "obligation to the public" to minimise inconvenience and should incorporate the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It causes the experience for those on foot in that part of town very hard.

"It is puzzling why there is not an effort to integrate it into the urban landscape or create something more aesthetic and innovative."

Ongoing Efforts

A project spokesperson said work on "ideas to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress.

They continued: "We recognize the frustrations felt by local residents and businesses.

"This represents a lengthy and protracted process, demonstrating the difficulty and size of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to concluding this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

The council leader said the local authority would "continue to put pressure" on those responsible to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a blight for years, and I share the exasperation of locals and area enterprises over these continued delays.

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the firm has a obligation to make the building safe and that this remediation has proved to be hugely complex."