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Positioned on the most frequented avenues in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre looms a monolith of metal poles and platforms.

For five years, the establishment on the junction of a key historic street and George IV Bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Tourists cannot book rooms, pedestrians are funneled through narrow walkways, and businesses have left the building.

Repair work started in 2020 and was only expected to last a short period, but now exasperated residents have been told the structure could stay in place until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The construction firm, the lead company, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the first sections of the frame can be taken down.

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

What is transpiring with this apparently perpetual project?

A Problematic Past

The establishment with 136 rooms was constructed on the site of the former Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it first opened under the a fashion-branded banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

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

A section of the street and a significant portion of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the project.

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

An eatery Ondine left the building and transferred to another city in 2024.

In a comment, its management said the ongoing project had compelled them to modify the restaurant's facade, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also home to dining franchise Pizza Express – which has hung large signs on the scaffold to notify customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in January this year stated that the process of "uncovering" the façade would begin in February, with a full removal by the close of the year.

But the contractor has said that will not happen, citing "extremely complex" structural challenges for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to remove parts of the scaffold near the finish of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," a statement read.

"We are working closely with all parties to ensure we create an enhanced site for the public."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, head of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for urban works.

She said those involved in the project had a "obligation to the public" to lessen disruption and should integrate the work into the city's design.

She said: "It causes the pedestrian experience in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

"I don't understand why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the street view or create something more creative and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A official statement said work on "ideas to enhance the appearance the site" was continuing.

They stated: "We understand the annoyances felt by local residents and enterprises.

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

The council leader said the city would "continue to put pressure" on those responsible to complete the project.

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

"However, I also appreciate that the contractor has a obligation to make the building secure and that this restoration has been extremely complicated."