🔗 Share this article

On one of the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's ancient city looms a giant structure of construction framework.

For five years, a prominent hotel on the corner of a key historic street and George IV Bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Travellers are unable to reserve stays, pedestrians are funneled through tight corridors, and establishments 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 structure could remain until 2027.

Further Delays

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the structure can be removed.

The city's political leader Jane Meagher has called it a "blight" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is happening with this notoriously protracted project?

Background Issues

The establishment with 136 rooms was constructed on the site of the old local government offices in 2009.

Projections from when it first opened under the a designer banner, put the cost of construction at about a significant sum.

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

A section of the street and a large section of pavement leading up to the corner of the tourist drag have been left out of action by the development.

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

An eatery a well-known restaurant left the building and moved to another city in 2024.

In a release, its management said building work had obliged them to alter the restaurant's look, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of dining franchise a chain – which has displayed large signs on the framework to inform customers it is still open.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the a local authority committee in January this year stated that the process of "uncovering" the frontage would begin in February, with a total takedown by the close of the year.

But the firm has said that will not happen, citing "highly complicated" building problems for the delay.

"We expect starting to dismantle portions of the structure towards the end of 2026, with subsequent enhancements continuing thereafter," the company commented.

"We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we create an better site for the community."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of preservation association the an advocacy group, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "protracted" for construction projects.

She said those working on the project had a "civic responsibility" to minimise disruption and should blend the work into the city's design.

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

"It is perplexing why there is not a try to integrate it into the urban landscape or develop something more aesthetic and innovative."

Continued Work

A official statement said work on "ideas to enhance the appearance the site" was ongoing.

They stated: "We understand the irritations felt by local residents and businesses.

"This represents a long and drawn-out process, highlighting the difficulty and size of the remedial work required, however we are focused on completing this necessary work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the city would "maintain pressure" on those responsible to complete the project.

She said: "This framework has been a negative presence for years, and I share the frustration of inhabitants and nearby shops over these continued delays.

"Nonetheless, I also appreciate that the firm has a responsibility to make the building safe and that this restoration has turned out to be exceptionally difficult."