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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre looms a giant structure of metal poles and platforms.

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

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

Remedial work started in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a brief duration, but now exasperated residents have been told the scaffolding could remain until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the primary firm, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the first sections of the frame can be taken down.

A local authority figure a council official has described it as a "negative feature" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

A Troubled History

The 136-bedroom hotel was developed on the site of the previous regional authority offices in 2009.

Projections from when it first opened under the a designer banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

Remedial efforts got underway shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A section of the street and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the historic street have been closed off by the development.

People on foot going to and from the Lawnmarket and a neighboring street have been forced in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

An eatery a popular spot left the building and moved to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a statement, its management said the ongoing project had obliged them to change the restaurant's facade, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

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

Slipped Schedules

An report to the a city committee in January this year suggested that the process of "uncovering" the façade would commence in February, with a total takedown by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that is not the case, pointing to "exceptionally intricate" construction issues for the setback.

"We project starting to remove portions of the structure close to the conclusion of the coming year, with additional work continuing thereafter," they said.

"We are working closely with everyone involved to ensure we provide an enhanced site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, director of conservation group the an advocacy group, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

She said those working on the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen inconvenience and should incorporate the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It is making the walking experience in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

"I don't understand why there is not an effort to bring it into the urban landscape or develop something more artistic and innovative."

Continued Work

A company representative said work on "ideas to enhance the appearance the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by nearby inhabitants and businesses.

"This has been a extended and complex process, highlighting the intricacy and scale of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to finishing this essential work as soon as is possible."

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

She said: "This structure has been a blight for years, and I echo the annoyance of inhabitants and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"Nonetheless, I also acknowledge that the firm has a obligation to make the building safe and that this restoration has proved to be exceptionally difficult."