🔗 Share this article The Situation with the Capital's Scaffolding-Clad Hotel? Scaffolding encasing the hotel on a central thoroughfare may not be entirely dismantled until 2027. Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's historic capital looms a monolith of scaffolding. For half a decade, the establishment on the corner of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a covered eyesore. Tourists are unable to reserve stays, foot traffic are squeezed through narrow walkways, and commercial tenants have abandoned the building. Repair work started in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the scaffolding could stay in place until 2027. Prolonged Deadlines Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the main contractor, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the first sections of the frame can be dismantled. Edinburgh's council leader Jane Meagher has described it as a "blight" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome". What is happening with this notoriously protracted project? Unwrapped - how the hotel looks without its covering on the company's website. A Troubled History The sizeable hotel was constructed on the site of the previous regional authority offices in 2009. Estimates from when it initially debuted under the a fashion-branded banner, put the cost of construction at about a significant sum. Work on the building began shortly after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022. A section of the street and a sizable stretch of footpath leading up to the junction of the historic street have been rendered unusable by the development. Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and Victoria Terrace have been required one after another into a confined, sheltered corridor. An eatery Ondine quit the building and transferred to St Andrews in Fife in 2024. In a release, its operators said construction activity had obliged them to alter the restaurant's facade, adding that "patrons merited more". It is also hosts popular eatery a chain – which has hung large signs on the structure to notify customers it is still open. Photographs show the the building under construction in September 2008 (left) and the work beginning in 2020 (right). Slipped Schedules An update to the a city committee in the start of the year indicated that the process of "revealing" the frontage would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the end of the year. But the contractor has said that is not the case, pointing to "exceptionally intricate" building problems for the delay. "We project starting to dismantle sections of the scaffold near the finish of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," a statement read. "We are collaborating closely with everyone involved to ensure we provide an improved site for the public." Community and Heritage Concerns A heritage director, director of conservation group the a local association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for construction projects. She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen disturbance and should blend the work into the city's aesthetic. She said: "It renders the experience for those on foot in that part of town very hard. "It is perplexing why there is not an effort to integrate it into the street view or develop something more artistic and innovative." Shoppers have been forced to walk down a narrow sheltered walkway on part of the street. Ongoing Efforts A official statement said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress. They added: "We acknowledge the annoyances felt by the community and enterprises. "This represents a extended and complex process, demonstrating the complexity and magnitude of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to completing this necessary work as soon as is feasible." The council leader said the council would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to complete the project. She said: "This structure has been a blight for years, and I understand the frustration of inhabitants and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups. "However, I also recognize that the contractor has a duty to make the building secure and that this restoration has been hugely complex."