What's Happening with Edinburgh's Scaffolding-Clad Hotel?

Along the busiest tourist streets in the core of Scotland's historic capital stands a giant structure of metal poles and platforms.

For half a decade, a prominent hotel on the intersection of a key historic street and a major bridge has been a shrouded blight.

Tourists cannot book rooms, foot traffic are funneled through tight corridors, and establishments have left the building.

Restoration efforts started in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could stay in place until 2027.

Extended Timelines

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

Edinburgh's council leader a city representative has described it as a "negative feature" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "very troublesome".

What is going on with this seemingly endless project?

Background Issues

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the previous regional authority offices in 2009.

Figures from when it initially debuted under the a designer banner, put the build cost at about thirty million pounds.

Remedial efforts got underway shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022.

A section of the street and a sizable stretch of pavement leading up to the corner of the Royal Mile have been rendered unusable by the development.

Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and a neighboring street have been forced one after another into a confined, sheltered corridor.

An eatery a well-known restaurant left the building and moved to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a comment, its management said construction activity had obliged them to change the restaurant's look, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of popular eatery a chain – which has displayed large signs on the framework to remind customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An communication to the council's transport and environment committee in January this year stated that the process of "exposing" the exterior would begin in February, with a total takedown by the close of the year.

But the firm has said that is not the case, pointing to "highly complicated" construction issues for the postponement.

"We anticipate starting to remove parts of the scaffold near the finish of 2026, with additional work ongoing after that," they said.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

She said those associated with the project had a "public duty" to lessen disturbance 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 very hard.

"It is perplexing why there is not an effort to bring it into the street view or produce something more aesthetic and cutting-edge."

Project Response

A project spokesperson said work on "solutions to enhance the appearance the site" was ongoing.

They added: "We acknowledge the frustrations felt by the community and businesses.

"This constitutes a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the complexity and size of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to concluding this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

The official said the city would "keep applying pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a blight for years, and I echo the annoyance of locals and local businesses over these ongoing postponements.

"Nonetheless, I also recognize that the contractor has a duty to make the building structurally sound and that this remediation has turned out to be hugely complex."