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On one of the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's historic capital stands a giant structure of scaffolding.

For half a decade, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the corner of a key historic street and a major bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Visitors find no available accommodations, pedestrians are squeezed through tight corridors, and businesses have left the building.

Remedial work started in 2020 and was initially projected to last a brief duration, but now fed-up residents have been told the framework could remain until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the lead company, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the frame can be taken down.

A local authority figure a city representative has described it as a "blight" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is going on with this notoriously protracted project?

A Troubled History

The 136-bedroom hotel was constructed on the site of the old Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Projections from when it first opened under the a fashion-branded banner, put the build cost at about thirty million pounds.

Work on the building started not long after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A section of the street and a significant portion of footpath leading up to the intersection of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the development.

Walkers going to and from the Lawnmarket and Victoria Terrace have been forced single-file into a confined, sheltered corridor.

An eatery a popular spot quit the building and transferred to a different location in 2024.

In a release, its owners said building work had obliged them to change the restaurant's facade, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of popular eatery Pizza Express – which has displayed large notices on the framework to notify customers it is open for business.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in January this year suggested that the process of "exposing" the frontage would commence in February, with a full removal by the year's end.

But the contractor has said that is incorrect, pointing to "highly complicated" building problems for the delay.

"We project starting to take down portions of the structure close to the conclusion of the coming year, with additional work proceeding afterwards," the company commented.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, director of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had contributed to the city's reputation of being "slow" for development.

She said those associated with the project had a "civic responsibility" to minimise disturbance and should incorporate the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It causes the experience for those on foot in that part of town exceptionally challenging.

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

Project Response

A company representative said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by local residents and shops.

"This represents a long and drawn-out process, highlighting the complexity and size of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to finishing this essential work as soon as is feasible."

Ms Meagher said the council would "keep applying pressure" on those involved to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a problem for years, and I understand the annoyance of residents and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also recognize that the firm has a responsibility to make the building safe and that this remediation has proved to be hugely complex."