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Along the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a monolith of scaffolding.

For half a decade, the establishment on the junction of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

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

Remedial work started in 2020 and was initially projected to last a brief duration, but now fed-up residents have been told the framework could stay in place until 2027.

Extended Timelines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the initial parts of the scaffold can be removed.

The city's political leader a council official has described it as a "blight" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

The establishment with 136 rooms was developed on the site of the old Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

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

Work on the building began soon after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the development.

Walkers going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been compelled one after another into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant a well-known restaurant left the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

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

It is also home to restaurant chain a chain – which has displayed large signs on the structure to notify customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

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

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

"We expect starting to take down portions of the scaffold near the finish of 2026, with further improvements proceeding afterwards," a statement read.

"We are working closely with all parties to ensure we create an better site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, head of preservation association the a local association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "slow" for development.

She said those working on the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen disturbance and should integrate the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It causes the pedestrian experience in that area of the city really difficult.

"I don't understand why there is not an effort to bring it into the urban landscape or create something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A official statement said work on "measures to enhance the appearance the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We recognize the irritations felt by the community and shops.

"This represents a lengthy and protracted process, reflecting the complexity and scale of the remedial work required, however we are focused on concluding this necessary work as soon as is possible."

The council leader said the local authority would "continue to put pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a negative presence for years, and I share the exasperation of locals and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups.

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the contractor has a obligation to make the building secure and that this repair has turned out to be exceptionally difficult."