🔗 Share this article

On one of the most frequented avenues in the centre of Scotland's historic capital stands a imposing sight of construction framework.

For five years, a prominent hotel on the junction of the famous Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Travellers are unable to reserve stays, pedestrians are funneled through confined passages, and establishments have vacated the building.

Repair work began in 2020 and was initially projected to last a few months, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could remain until 2027.

Further Delays

The construction firm, the lead company, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the initial parts of the structure can be dismantled.

A local authority figure Jane Meagher has labeled it a "blight" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is happening with this apparently perpetual project?

A Problematic Past

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

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

Work on the building began shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a large section of footpath leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been closed off by the project.

Pedestrians going to and from the Lawnmarket and a neighboring street have been required in a line into a confined, sheltered corridor.

A dining establishment a well-known restaurant quit the building and relocated to another city in 2024.

In a release, its operators said the ongoing project had obliged them to change the restaurant's facade, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also the location of restaurant chain Pizza Express – which has hung large notices on the framework to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Slipped Schedules

An update to the council's transport and environment committee in early this year indicated that the process of "revealing" the façade would commence in February, with a total takedown by the end of the year.

But the firm has said that will not happen, referencing "highly complicated" construction issues for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to take down sections of the framework near the finish of the coming year, with additional work ongoing after that," the company commented.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, director of heritage body the a local association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

She said those involved in the project had a "public duty" to reduce disturbance and should integrate the work into the city's design.

She said: "It is making the pedestrian experience in that part of town really difficult.

"I don't understand why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the urban landscape or produce something more aesthetic and cutting-edge."

Project Response

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

They stated: "We understand the annoyances felt by the community and shops.

"This represents a extended and complex process, highlighting the difficulty and magnitude of the repair work required, however we are committed to finishing this vital work as soon as is feasible."

The official said the city would "continue to put pressure" on those responsible to complete the project.

She said: "This structure has been a negative presence for years, and I echo the frustration of inhabitants and local businesses over these ongoing postponements.

"However, I also acknowledge that the company has a duty to make the building secure and that this repair has been hugely complex."