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On one of the most popular thoroughfares in the centre of Scotland's historic capital stands a giant structure of construction framework.

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the corner of a key historic street and the adjacent bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

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

Remedial work started in 2020 and was initially projected to last a few months, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could remain until 2027.

Extended Timelines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the initial parts of the scaffold can be dismantled.

Edinburgh's council leader a council official has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The establishment with 136 rooms was developed on the site of the former regional authority offices in 2009.

Projections from when it originally launched under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

Construction activity started shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

A section of the street and a large section of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the project.

People on foot going to and from the Lawnmarket and Victoria Terrace have been forced single-file into a tight, enclosed passage.

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

In a release, its management said building work had compelled them to change the restaurant's look, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also hosts dining franchise a chain – which has displayed large signs on the scaffold to notify customers it is still open.

Delayed Plans

An update to the a local authority committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "revealing" the frontage would begin in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that is not the case, pointing to "highly complicated" construction issues for the setback.

"We expect starting to remove portions of the scaffold near the finish of next year, with additional work proceeding afterwards," they said.

"Efforts are underway closely with everyone involved to ensure we provide an improved site for the community."

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, director of heritage body the a local association, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "slow" for development.

She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen disturbance and should blend the work into the city's streetscape.

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

"I don't understand why there is not some attempt to incorporate it within the urban landscape or produce something more creative and avant-garde."

Continued Work

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

They stated: "We recognize the frustrations felt by the community and enterprises.

"This has been a long and drawn-out process, demonstrating the complexity and size of the restoration required, however we are committed to completing this necessary work as soon as is practicable."

Ms Meagher said the council would "keep applying pressure" on those involved to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a negative presence for years, and I understand the annoyance of locals and nearby shops over these ongoing postponements.

"That said, I also acknowledge that the company has a obligation to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has been hugely complex."