🔗 Share this article The Ongoing Issue with Edinburgh's Scaffold-Wrapped Hotel? Scaffolding encasing the hotel on George IV Bridge may not be fully removed until 2027. Positioned on the most frequented avenues in the heart of Scotland's ancient city sits a imposing sight of metal poles and platforms. For half a decade, the establishment on the intersection of a key historic street and the adjacent bridge has been a covered eyesore. Visitors cannot book rooms, walkers are directed through confined passages, and commercial tenants have left the building. Remedial work started in 2020 and was initially projected to last a short period, but now frustrated residents have been told the scaffolding could persist until 2027. Prolonged Deadlines Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the primary firm, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the first sections of the scaffold can be dismantled. The city's political leader a city representative has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "extremely disruptive". What is going on with this notoriously protracted project? Scaffold-free - how the hotel is presented scaffold-free on the company's website. A Troubled History The sizeable hotel was constructed on the site of the previous local government offices in 2009. Estimates from when it first opened under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the build cost at about £30m. Remedial efforts started not long after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022. A lane of traffic and a sizable stretch of footpath leading up to the intersection of the historic street have been closed off by the project. Walkers going to and from the a nearby area and Victoria Terrace have been forced one after another into a narrow, covered walkway. A dining establishment Ondine departed from the building and transferred to another city in 2024. In a release, its owners said construction activity had compelled them to alter the restaurant's appearance, adding that "patrons merited more". It is also hosts dining franchise a pizza restaurant – which has displayed large notices on the structure to remind customers it is operating as usual. Photographs show the the building being built in September 2008 (left) and the scaffolding beginning in 2020 (right). Delayed Plans An update to the a local authority committee in January this year stated that the process of "uncovering" the façade would commence in February, with a complete dismantling by the close of the year. But SRM has said that is not the case, citing "extremely complex" building problems for the delay. "We project starting to take down portions of the framework towards the end of the coming year, with subsequent enhancements proceeding afterwards," a statement read. "Efforts are underway closely with everyone involved to ensure we deliver an better site for the public." Community and Heritage Concerns Rowan Brown, director of preservation association the a local association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for construction projects. She said those working on the project had a "public duty" to lessen disturbance and should incorporate the work into the city's streetscape. She said: "It is making the pedestrian experience in that area of the city really difficult. "It is puzzling why there is not a try to bring it into the street view or develop something more creative and innovative." Shoppers have been forced to walk down a confined enclosed walkway on the affected thoroughfare. Continued Work A official statement said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress. They added: "We understand the frustrations felt by local residents and enterprises. "This represents a extended and complex process, reflecting the intricacy and size of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to completing this necessary work as soon as is possible." The council leader said the local authority would "continue to put pressure" on those responsible to wrap up the project. She said: "This framework has been a blight for years, and I echo the exasperation of residents and area enterprises over these continued delays. "That said, I also acknowledge that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building structurally sound and that this remediation has proved to be extremely complicated."