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Along the most frequented avenues in the centre of Scotland's historic capital stands a imposing sight of scaffolding.

For the past 60 months, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the intersection of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Visitors cannot book rooms, foot traffic are funneled through narrow walkways, and businesses have left the building.

Repair work started in 2020 and was only expected to last a short period, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The construction firm, the main contractor, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be taken down.

A local authority figure a city representative has called it a "blight" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this apparently perpetual project?

A Problematic Past

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

Projections from when it initially debuted under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the build cost at about thirty million pounds.

Construction activity started not long after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

Part of the road and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the work.

People on foot going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been forced in a line into a tight, enclosed passage.

Seafood restaurant a well-known restaurant quit the building and moved to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a release, its owners said building work had obliged them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also home to dining franchise a pizza restaurant – which has displayed large banners on the framework to notify customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

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

But the firm has said that is not the case, pointing to "extremely complex" building problems for the delay.

"We project starting to take down sections of the structure close to the conclusion of the coming year, with further improvements continuing thereafter," the company commented.

"We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we deliver an enhanced site for the local area."

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, lead of conservation group the a local association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "protracted" for development.

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

She said: "It is making the walking experience in that area of the city very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not a try to bring it into the urban landscape or create something more artistic and innovative."

Ongoing Efforts

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

They added: "We acknowledge the annoyances felt by the community 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 council would "maintain pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

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

"However, I also acknowledge that the company has a obligation to make the building structurally sound and that this remediation has been hugely complex."