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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's ancient city sits a monolith of metal poles and platforms.

For five years, the establishment on the corner of the famous Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Travellers are unable to reserve stays, pedestrians are funneled through confined passages, and establishments have left the building.

Remedial work began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the framework could persist until 2027.

Extended Timelines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, 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 a city representative has called it a "negative feature" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The 136-bedroom hotel was built on the site of the old Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

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

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

A section of the street and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the historic street have been left out of action by the development.

Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been required single-file into a tight, enclosed passage.

An eatery a popular spot departed from the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

In a statement, its management said the ongoing project had compelled them to modify the restaurant's appearance, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also home to popular eatery Pizza Express – which has displayed large signs on the scaffold to inform customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

An communication to the a local authority committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "exposing" the façade would commence in February, with a complete dismantling by the end of the year.

But the contractor has said that is incorrect, citing "highly complicated" building problems for the setback.

"We expect starting to take down parts of the scaffold towards the end of next year, with further improvements ongoing after that," the company commented.

"We are collaborating closely with everyone involved to ensure we deliver an better site for the community."

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, director of conservation group the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

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

She said: "It is making the walking experience in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

"It is puzzling why there is not an effort to bring it into the urban landscape or develop something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

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

They stated: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by local residents and businesses.

"This represents a long and drawn-out process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the repair work required, however we are focused on completing this necessary work as soon as is practicable."

The council leader said the city would "continue to put pressure" on those involved to wrap up the project.

She said: "This framework has been a blight for years, and I share the frustration of locals and area enterprises over these continued delays.

"That said, I also recognize that the company has a duty to make the building safe and that this remediation has turned out to be hugely complex."