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Positioned on the most popular thoroughfares in the heart of Scotland's ancient city stands a imposing sight of scaffolding.

For the past 60 months, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the junction of a key historic street and the adjacent bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Tourists are unable to reserve stays, foot traffic are directed through confined passages, and businesses have vacated the building.

Remedial work started in 2020 and was initially projected to last a short period, but now frustrated residents have been told the scaffolding could stay in place until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the lead company, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the first sections of the frame can be removed.

The city's political leader a city representative has called it a "blight" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is transpiring with this seemingly endless project?

Background Issues

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

Projections from when it first opened under the a designer banner, put the development expense at about a significant sum.

Remedial efforts got underway not long after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

Part of the road and a significant portion of pavement leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been closed off by the work.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and a neighboring street have been forced in a line into a confined, sheltered corridor.

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

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

It is also the location of popular eatery a chain – which has displayed large notices on the scaffold to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the a city committee in January this year stated that the process of "revealing" the frontage would start in February, with a full removal by the year's end.

But the contractor has said that is not the case, referencing "highly complicated" structural challenges for the delay.

"We expect starting to remove sections of the structure near the finish of the coming year, with additional work ongoing after that," they said.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, head of preservation association the an advocacy group, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "protracted" for urban works.

She said those associated with the project had a "obligation to the public" to lessen disturbance and should blend the work into the city's aesthetic.

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

"I don't understand why there is not an effort to bring it into the street view or create something more artistic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

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

They added: "We recognize the annoyances felt by nearby inhabitants and enterprises.

"This represents a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the repair work required, however we are focused on completing this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

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

She said: "This framework has been a problem for years, and I understand the exasperation of residents and area enterprises over these continued delays.

"That said, I also acknowledge that the company has a responsibility to make the building secure and that this remediation has proved to be hugely complex."