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On one of the most popular thoroughfares in the heart of Scotland's ancient city looms a imposing sight of scaffolding.

For five years, a prominent hotel on the corner of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and George IV Bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Visitors find no available accommodations, pedestrians are directed through narrow walkways, and businesses have vacated the building.

Remedial work began in 2020 and was initially projected to last a brief duration, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could persist 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 removed.

Edinburgh's council leader Jane Meagher has called it a "negative feature" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is going on with this seemingly endless project?

A Problematic Past

The 136-bedroom hotel was constructed on the site of the former local government offices in 2009.

Projections from when it initially debuted under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the development expense at about £30m.

Work on the building started soon after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

Part of the road and a sizable stretch of footpath leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the development.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been required in a line into a confined, sheltered corridor.

Seafood restaurant a well-known restaurant left the building and transferred to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a comment, its owners said building work had obliged them to change the restaurant's look, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also home to restaurant chain a chain – which has placed large signs on the framework to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Slipped Schedules

An update to the a city committee in early this year stated that the process of "exposing" the exterior would commence in February, with a full removal by the year's end.

But SRM has said that is incorrect, pointing to "highly complicated" structural challenges for the delay.

"We expect starting to take down portions of the scaffold near the finish of 2026, with additional work ongoing after that," they said.

"We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we provide an better site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, lead of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for development.

She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to reduce disruption and should blend the work into the city's design.

She said: "It renders the experience for those on foot in that part of town really difficult.

"It is perplexing why there is not some attempt to incorporate it within the streetscape or create something more aesthetic and cutting-edge."

Continued Work

A project spokesperson said work on "solutions to enhance the appearance the site" was continuing.

They added: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by nearby inhabitants and businesses.

"This represents a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the intricacy and scale of the remedial work required, however we are committed to finishing this vital work as soon as is possible."

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

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I understand the annoyance of locals and area enterprises over these ongoing postponements.

"That said, I also appreciate that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building safe and that this repair has proved to be exceptionally difficult."