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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a monolith of construction framework.

For the past 60 months, the establishment on the intersection of a key historic street and George IV Bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Tourists cannot book rooms, walkers are funneled through confined passages, and commercial tenants have abandoned the building.

Repair work commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could stay in place until 2027.

Further Delays

The main contractor, the primary firm, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the initial parts of the scaffold can be dismantled.

A local authority figure a council official has called it a "negative feature" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "very troublesome".

What is going on with this seemingly endless project?

A Problematic Past

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

Figures from when it initially debuted under the a fashion-branded banner, put the development expense at about a significant sum.

Construction activity got underway shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

Part of the road and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the intersection of the tourist drag have been closed off by the work.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been forced one after another into a narrow, covered walkway.

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

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

It is also the location of dining franchise Pizza Express – which has hung large banners on the structure to remind customers it is open for business.

Missed Deadlines

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

But the firm has said that will not happen, referencing "highly complicated" building problems for the postponement.

"We anticipate starting to remove parts of the framework near the finish of next year, with additional work proceeding afterwards," they said.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, lead of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "protracted" for construction projects.

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

She said: "It causes the pedestrian experience in that part of town very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not a try to integrate it into the street view or create something more aesthetic and cutting-edge."

Continued Work

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

They added: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by nearby inhabitants and enterprises.

"This has been a long and drawn-out process, demonstrating the difficulty and scale of the restoration required, however we are committed to finishing this essential work as soon as is practicable."

The official said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those responsible to complete the project.

She said: "This framework has been a negative presence for years, and I understand the annoyance of inhabitants and nearby shops over these persistent hold-ups.

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the firm has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this repair has turned out to be hugely complex."