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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's historic capital stands a imposing sight of scaffolding.

For the past 60 months, the establishment on the corner of the famous Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Visitors find no available accommodations, pedestrians are directed through confined passages, and businesses have abandoned the building.

Remedial work started in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the framework could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the structure can be dismantled.

The city's political leader Jane Meagher has called it a "negative feature" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is transpiring with this seemingly endless project?

A Troubled History

The sizeable hotel was developed on the site of the previous Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Figures from when it first opened under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the development expense at about thirty million pounds.

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

A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the intersection of the historic street have been closed off by the project.

People on foot going to and from the Lawnmarket and another locale have been required single-file into a narrow, covered walkway.

An eatery Ondine quit the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

In a release, its operators said construction activity had forced them to change the restaurant's look, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of restaurant chain a pizza restaurant – which has hung large signs on the scaffold to notify customers it is open for business.

Missed Deadlines

An communication to the a local authority committee in the start of the year suggested that the process of "uncovering" the exterior would start in February, with a total takedown by the close of the year.

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

"We anticipate starting to take down portions of the scaffold towards the end of the coming year, with further improvements continuing thereafter," they said.

"Efforts are underway closely with everyone involved to ensure we provide an better site for the community."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, lead of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "protracted" for construction projects.

She said those working on the project had a "obligation to the public" to lessen inconvenience and should blend the work into the city's aesthetic.

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

"I don't understand why there is not a try to incorporate it within the urban landscape or develop something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

A company representative said work on "ideas to beautify the site" was continuing.

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

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

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to complete the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I understand the exasperation of inhabitants and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups.

"However, I also recognize that the firm has a duty to make the building secure and that this remediation has been extremely complicated."