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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a monolith of scaffolding.

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

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

Remedial work commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

The main contractor, the lead company, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the frame can be removed.

The city's political leader Jane Meagher has labeled it a "blight" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "very troublesome".

What is transpiring with this seemingly endless project?

A Problematic Past

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the former Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Figures from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the cost of construction at about a significant sum.

Remedial efforts started soon after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a significant portion of footpath leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the development.

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

An eatery a well-known restaurant departed from the building and relocated to another city in 2024.

In a release, its operators said the ongoing project had forced them to change the restaurant's look, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also home to dining franchise a chain – which has displayed large notices on the framework to inform customers it is operating as usual.

Delayed Plans

An report to the a city committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "revealing" the façade would begin in February, with a full removal by the close of the year.

But SRM has said that is incorrect, referencing "highly complicated" structural challenges for the postponement.

"We project starting to remove parts of the structure towards the end of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," they said.

"Efforts are underway closely with everyone involved to ensure we deliver an enhanced site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of heritage body the a local association, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

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

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

"I don't understand why there is not an effort to integrate it into the streetscape or produce something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A project spokesperson said work on "measures to beautify the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We recognize the irritations felt by nearby inhabitants and shops.

"This constitutes a long and drawn-out process, highlighting the intricacy and scale of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to concluding this essential work as soon as is possible."

The official said the local authority would "continue to put pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This structure has been a blight for years, and I understand the frustration of inhabitants and local businesses over these ongoing postponements.

"Nonetheless, I also acknowledge that the firm has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has been extremely complicated."