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Along the most frequented avenues in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre stands a giant structure of construction framework.

For half a decade, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the intersection of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Tourists cannot book rooms, pedestrians are squeezed through confined passages, and establishments have vacated the building.

Remedial work began in 2020 and was initially projected to last a short period, but now exasperated residents have been told the framework could remain until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

The main contractor, the main contractor, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the first sections of the scaffold can be removed.

Edinburgh's council leader Jane Meagher has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this apparently perpetual project?

A Troubled History

The sizeable hotel was constructed on the site of the old regional authority offices in 2009.

Projections from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

Construction activity started not long after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a significant portion of footpath leading up to the intersection of the Royal Mile have been left out of action by the development.

People on foot going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been compelled single-file into a confined, sheltered corridor.

Seafood restaurant a popular spot departed from the building and moved to another city in 2024.

In a statement, its operators said the ongoing project had obliged them to change the restaurant's look, adding that "customers deserved better".

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

Slipped Schedules

An update to the a city committee in early this year suggested that the process of "exposing" the exterior would begin in February, with a full removal by the year's end.

But SRM has said that is incorrect, citing "extremely complex" structural challenges for the postponement.

"We anticipate starting to remove parts of the framework close to the conclusion of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements ongoing after that," they said.

"We are working closely with everyone involved to ensure we create an improved site for the local area."

Community and Heritage Concerns

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

She said those involved in the project had a "obligation to the public" to lessen inconvenience and should integrate the work into the city's streetscape.

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

"I don't understand why there is not an effort to incorporate it within the street view or produce something more aesthetic and innovative."

Continued Work

A official statement said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress.

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

"This constitutes a long and drawn-out process, demonstrating the complexity and magnitude of the remedial work required, however we are focused on completing this vital work as soon as is possible."

The council leader said the city would "keep applying pressure" on those involved to complete the project.

She said: "This framework has been a problem for years, and I echo the exasperation of locals and area enterprises over these ongoing postponements.

"However, I also appreciate that the firm has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has proved to be exceptionally difficult."