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

For five years, the establishment on the junction of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Travellers find no available accommodations, foot traffic are funneled through confined passages, and businesses have vacated the building.

Restoration efforts commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the scaffolding could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the first sections of the structure can be taken down.

A local authority figure Jane Meagher has described it as a "blight" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "very troublesome".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The establishment with 136 rooms was built 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 cost of construction at about a significant sum.

Remedial efforts started not long after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

Part of the road and a significant portion of pavement leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the work.

Walkers going to and from the Lawnmarket and another locale have been required in a line into a tight, enclosed passage.

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

In a statement, its management said the ongoing project had forced them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also hosts popular eatery Pizza Express – which has placed large notices on the framework to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

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

But SRM has said that is not the case, citing "exceptionally intricate" building problems for the postponement.

"We project starting to dismantle portions of the scaffold towards the end of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," the company commented.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "slow" for urban works.

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

She said: "It causes the pedestrian experience in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

"I don't understand why there is not a try to incorporate it within the streetscape or produce something more artistic and innovative."

Continued Work

A project spokesperson said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was ongoing.

They stated: "We understand the frustrations felt by nearby inhabitants and shops.

"This represents a long and drawn-out process, highlighting the difficulty and size of the remedial work required, however we are committed to finishing this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "continue to put pressure" on those responsible to finish the project.

She said: "This structure has been a blight for years, and I share the frustration of residents and nearby shops over these continued delays.

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building structurally sound and that this repair has been extremely complicated."