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Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's historic capital stands a giant structure of scaffolding.

For five years, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the junction of a key historic street and George IV Bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Visitors find no available accommodations, foot traffic are squeezed through confined passages, and commercial tenants have left the building.

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

Extended Timelines

The construction firm, the primary firm, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the frame can be dismantled.

The city's political leader a council official has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "extremely disruptive".

What is going on with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the old Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Figures from when it initially debuted under the a fashion-branded banner, put the build cost at about £30m.

Remedial efforts started not long after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of footpath leading up to the intersection of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the development.

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

An eatery Ondine departed from the building and relocated to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

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

It is also hosts restaurant chain a chain – which has hung large banners on the framework to notify customers it is open for business.

Slipped Schedules

An report to the a local authority committee in the start of the year indicated that the process of "uncovering" the façade would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end.

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

"We project starting to remove sections of the framework towards the end of the coming year, with additional work continuing thereafter," they said.

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

Local and Conservation Frustration

Rowan Brown, director of preservation association the an advocacy group, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "protracted" for urban works.

She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen inconvenience and should incorporate the work into the city's aesthetic.

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

"It is puzzling why there is not some attempt to integrate it into the streetscape or create something more artistic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A official statement said work on "ideas to beautify the site" was continuing.

They continued: "We understand the frustrations felt by the community and shops.

"This has been a long and drawn-out process, demonstrating the difficulty and magnitude of the restoration required, however we are committed to completing this essential work as soon as is possible."

The official 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 share the annoyance of inhabitants and local businesses over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also recognize that the firm has a responsibility to make the building secure and that this restoration has been hugely complex."