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Along the most popular thoroughfares in the centre of Scotland's ancient city stands a imposing sight of metal poles and platforms.

For half a decade, a prominent hotel on the corner of a key historic street and the adjacent bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Visitors cannot book rooms, foot traffic are funneled through tight corridors, and businesses have abandoned the building.

Repair work began in 2020 and was only expected to last a brief duration, but now exasperated residents have been told the framework could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the primary firm, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be dismantled.

A local authority figure a city representative has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is happening with this notoriously protracted project?

Background Issues

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

Estimates from when it first opened under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the build cost at about thirty million pounds.

Work on the building began shortly after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

Part of the road and a sizable stretch of footpath leading up to the junction of the historic street have been left out of action by the project.

People on foot going to and from the an adjacent district and a neighboring street have been compelled one after another into a confined, sheltered corridor.

Seafood restaurant Ondine departed from the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

In a statement, its operators said construction activity had compelled them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also hosts restaurant chain a chain – which has placed large notices on the scaffold to remind customers it is open for business.

Missed Deadlines

An communication to the a local authority committee in early this year indicated that the process of "revealing" the exterior would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end.

But the firm has said that will not happen, citing "exceptionally intricate" structural challenges for the postponement.

"We project starting to remove portions of the structure towards the end of 2026, with additional work continuing thereafter," they said.

"We are collaborating closely with all parties to ensure we deliver an better site for the community."

Community and Heritage Concerns

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

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

She said: "It is making the walking experience in that section exceptionally challenging.

"It is puzzling why there is not an effort to bring it into the streetscape or create something more aesthetic and innovative."

Continued Work

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

They added: "We understand the annoyances felt by the community and enterprises.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, reflecting the difficulty and size of the repair work required, however we are focused on concluding this essential work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those responsible to wrap up the project.

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

"That said, I also acknowledge that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building structurally sound and that this remediation has been exceptionally difficult."