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Along the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's ancient city stands a monolith of construction framework.

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

Visitors cannot book rooms, pedestrians are squeezed through tight corridors, and businesses have left the building.

Restoration efforts commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a brief duration, but now exasperated residents have been told the structure could stay in place until 2027.

Further Delays

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the structure can be dismantled.

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?

Background Issues

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the previous regional authority offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it originally launched under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the development expense at about thirty million pounds.

Remedial efforts got underway soon after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A section of the street and a large section of footpath leading up to the junction of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the development.

Pedestrians going to and from the Lawnmarket and Victoria Terrace have been forced single-file into a narrow, covered walkway.

An eatery a popular spot left the building and relocated to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a statement, its management said building work had compelled them to alter the restaurant's facade, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also home to restaurant chain a pizza restaurant – which has displayed large notices on the scaffold to inform customers it is operating as usual.

Slipped Schedules

An communication to the a local authority committee in early this year suggested that the process of "exposing" the façade would begin in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But SRM has said that will not happen, pointing to "highly complicated" construction issues for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to dismantle parts of the scaffold near the finish of next year, with further improvements continuing thereafter," they said.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, director of conservation group the an advocacy group, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

She said those associated with the project had a "obligation to the public" to lessen disturbance and should integrate the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It is making the pedestrian experience in that part of town really difficult.

"It is puzzling why there is not a try to integrate it into the streetscape or create something more artistic and cutting-edge."

Continued Work

A company representative said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was continuing.

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

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, highlighting the intricacy and scale of the restoration required, however we are committed to completing this vital work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the city would "continue to put pressure" on those accountable to wrap up the project.

She said: "This structure has been a problem for years, and I understand the annoyance of residents and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also recognize that the contractor has a obligation to make the building secure and that this restoration has been exceptionally difficult."