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Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre stands a monolith of metal poles and platforms.

For half a decade, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the junction of the famous Royal Mile and George IV Bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Visitors are unable to reserve stays, pedestrians are funneled through tight corridors, and establishments have vacated the building.

Repair work started in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the framework could persist until 2027.

Further Delays

The main contractor, the lead company, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be dismantled.

A local authority figure Jane Meagher has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "very troublesome".

What is transpiring with this seemingly endless project?

Background Issues

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the old local government offices in 2009.

Figures from when it originally launched under the a designer banner, put the build cost at about £30m.

Remedial efforts began shortly after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

Part of the road and a large section of footpath leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been closed off by the work.

Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been required single-file into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant Ondine quit the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

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

It is also hosts popular eatery a chain – which has placed large signs on the scaffold to inform customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

An report to the a local authority committee in January this year indicated that the process of "revealing" the frontage would commence in February, with a full removal by the close of the year.

But SRM has said that will not happen, referencing "extremely complex" structural challenges for the delay.

"We project starting to remove portions of the framework towards the end of next year, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," a statement read.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

A heritage director, head of preservation association the an advocacy group, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for development.

She said those associated with the project had a "civic responsibility" to minimise inconvenience and should blend the work into the city's design.

She said: "It is making the pedestrian experience in that section really difficult.

"It is perplexing why there is not a try to integrate it into the streetscape or produce something more creative and avant-garde."

Project Response

A official statement said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We acknowledge the irritations felt by the community and enterprises.

"This represents a long and drawn-out process, reflecting the difficulty and scale of the remedial work required, however we are dedicated to completing this essential work as soon as is practicable."

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

She said: "This scaffolding has been a problem for years, and I echo the annoyance of locals and nearby shops over these continued delays.

"Nonetheless, I also appreciate that the company has a obligation to make the building structurally sound and that this repair has been hugely complex."