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Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's ancient city looms a monolith of construction framework.

For five years, a prominent hotel on the intersection of a key historic street and George IV Bridge has been a covered eyesore.

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

Repair work began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the framework could persist until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The main contractor, the primary firm, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the first sections of the scaffold can be removed.

A local authority figure a council official has called it a "negative feature" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

The establishment with 136 rooms was built on the site of the previous local government offices in 2009.

Figures from when it initially debuted under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the development expense at about thirty million pounds.

Construction activity got underway soon after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

Part of the road and a large section of sidewalk leading up to the intersection of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the work.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and Victoria Terrace have been forced one after another into a tight, enclosed passage.

Seafood restaurant Ondine quit the building and relocated to a different location in 2024.

In a statement, its operators said construction activity had obliged them to change the restaurant's look, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also home to restaurant chain Pizza Express – which has placed large notices on the structure to inform customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An update to the a city committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "exposing" the exterior would commence in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that will not happen, referencing "highly complicated" construction issues for the postponement.

"We anticipate starting to dismantle sections of the scaffold near the finish of 2026, with additional work proceeding afterwards," a statement read.

"We are collaborating closely with everyone involved to ensure we create an better site for the community."

Local and Conservation Frustration

Rowan Brown, lead of preservation association the a local association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

She said those involved in the project had a "public duty" to lessen disruption and should incorporate the work into the city's aesthetic.

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

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

Ongoing Efforts

A company representative said work on "ideas to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress.

They added: "We recognize the frustrations felt by the community and businesses.

"This constitutes a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the complexity and scale of the repair work required, however we are committed to concluding this vital work as soon as is feasible."

Ms Meagher said the council would "continue to put pressure" on those responsible to wrap up the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a problem for years, and I share the frustration of inhabitants and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also appreciate that the firm has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has turned out to be hugely complex."