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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's historic capital stands a monolith of metal poles and platforms.

For the past 60 months, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the junction of the famous Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Visitors find no available accommodations, walkers are squeezed through tight corridors, and commercial tenants have left the building.

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

Further Delays

The main contractor, the lead company, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the first sections of the scaffold can be taken down.

Edinburgh's council leader a city representative has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The 136-bedroom hotel was constructed on the site of the previous local government offices in 2009.

Figures from when it first opened under the a fashion-branded banner, put the development expense at about £30m.

Work on the building got underway soon after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a large section of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the historic street have been rendered unusable by the work.

Walkers going to and from the Lawnmarket and Victoria Terrace have been required one after another into a confined, sheltered corridor.

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

In a release, its operators said the ongoing project had forced them to modify the restaurant's appearance, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of popular eatery a pizza restaurant – which has hung large notices on the scaffold to inform customers it is open for business.

Delayed Plans

An communication to the a city committee in January this year indicated that the process of "uncovering" the façade would start in February, with a total takedown by the year's end.

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

"We anticipate starting to take down parts of the framework close to the conclusion of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," the company commented.

"We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we deliver an improved site for the community."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, director of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "protracted" for construction projects.

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

She said: "It causes the walking experience in that section very hard.

"It is perplexing why there is not an effort to incorporate it within the urban landscape or produce something more creative and cutting-edge."

Ongoing Efforts

A project spokesperson said work on "measures to beautify the site" was continuing.

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

"This represents a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the remedial work required, however we are focused on completing this vital work as soon as is feasible."

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

She said: "This framework has been a blight for years, and I understand the exasperation of residents and area enterprises over these ongoing postponements.

"That said, I also recognize that the contractor has a duty to make the building secure and that this repair has proved to be hugely complex."