🔗 Share this article

Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre looms a imposing sight of construction framework.

For the past 60 months, the establishment on the intersection of a key historic street and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Visitors cannot book rooms, foot traffic are directed through confined passages, and commercial tenants have vacated the building.

Repair work commenced in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a short period, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The construction firm, the main contractor, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the initial parts of the structure can be removed.

Edinburgh's council leader a city representative has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is transpiring with this seemingly endless project?

A Problematic Past

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

Estimates from when it originally launched 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 not accepting visitors since 2022.

Part of the road and a significant portion of footpath leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been left out of action by the development.

Pedestrians going to and from the an adjacent district and Victoria Terrace have been required in a line into a confined, sheltered corridor.

A dining establishment Ondine departed from the building and transferred to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a release, its management said building work had compelled them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also the location of dining franchise a pizza restaurant – which has placed large notices on the structure to notify customers it is operating as usual.

Delayed Plans

An communication to the a local authority committee in January this year stated that the process of "exposing" the frontage would begin in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end.

But the firm has said that is not the case, citing "extremely complex" structural challenges for the postponement.

"We project starting to take down sections of the scaffold close to the conclusion of 2026, with additional work continuing thereafter," they said.

"Efforts are underway closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we create an improved site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "protracted" for urban works.

She said those working on the project had a "civic responsibility" to reduce inconvenience and should blend the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It renders the experience for those on foot in that area of the city exceptionally challenging.

"It is perplexing why there is not an effort to incorporate it within the street view or develop something more artistic and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

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

They added: "We acknowledge the annoyances felt by nearby inhabitants and shops.

"This represents a extended and complex process, highlighting the difficulty and size of the restoration required, however we are focused on finishing this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

The council leader said the local authority would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to complete the project.

She said: "This structure has been a negative presence for years, and I share the annoyance of locals and area enterprises over these ongoing postponements.

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the company has a duty to make the building secure and that this repair has been extremely complicated."