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On one of the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre looms a monolith of scaffolding.

For half a decade, a prominent hotel on the intersection of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Visitors find no available accommodations, walkers are squeezed through confined passages, and businesses have abandoned the building.

Repair work began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a short period, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

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

Edinburgh's council leader a council official has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is transpiring with this seemingly endless project?

A Troubled History

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the previous local government offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it first opened under the a designer banner, put the development expense at about a significant sum.

Work on the building began not long after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a significant portion of sidewalk leading up to the intersection of the Royal Mile have been left out of action by the work.

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

A dining establishment Ondine departed from the building and relocated to another city in 2024.

In a release, its management said construction activity had obliged them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also hosts restaurant chain Pizza Express – which has hung large signs on the scaffold to notify customers it is operating as usual.

Slipped Schedules

An update to the council's transport and environment committee in January this year suggested that the process of "exposing" the frontage would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the close of the year.

But SRM has said that is incorrect, citing "highly complicated" building problems for the delay.

"We expect starting to remove portions of the structure close to the conclusion of the coming year, with further improvements ongoing after that," they said.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

Rowan Brown, lead of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for urban works.

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

She said: "It is making the experience for those on foot in that area of the city exceptionally challenging.

"I don't understand why there is not a try to bring it into the urban landscape or create something more creative and avant-garde."

Project Response

A company representative said work on "ideas to beautify the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We understand the annoyances felt by nearby inhabitants and businesses.

"This represents a extended and complex process, demonstrating the complexity and size of the repair work required, however we are committed to concluding this necessary work as soon as is possible."

The official said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to wrap up the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I share the frustration of residents and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups.

"However, I also appreciate that the company has a obligation to make the building safe and that this repair has proved to be exceptionally difficult."