🔗 Share this article

On one of the most popular thoroughfares in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre stands a monolith of construction framework.

For five years, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the corner of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Visitors find no available accommodations, pedestrians are directed through confined passages, and establishments have left the building.

Repair work began in 2020 and was initially projected to last a short period, but now exasperated residents have been told the framework could stay in place 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 scaffold can be taken down.

A local authority figure Jane Meagher has described it as a "negative feature" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is transpiring with this notoriously protracted project?

Background Issues

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

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

Remedial efforts started soon after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

Part of the road and a large section of footpath leading up to the junction of the Royal Mile have been closed off by the development.

People on foot going to and from the an adjacent district and a neighboring street have been required one after another into a tight, enclosed passage.

A dining establishment a well-known restaurant departed from the building and moved to another city in 2024.

In a comment, its owners said construction activity had obliged them to alter the restaurant's facade, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also hosts dining franchise a chain – which has hung large banners on the structure to remind customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

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

But the contractor has said that is incorrect, referencing "highly complicated" structural challenges for the delay.

"We project starting to take down parts of the scaffold towards the end of the coming year, with additional work ongoing after that," the company commented.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, lead of conservation group the a local association, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

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

She said: "It renders the walking experience in that area of the city exceptionally challenging.

"I don't understand why there is not a try to integrate it into the urban landscape or develop something more creative and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

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

They added: "We understand the annoyances felt by local residents and shops.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, demonstrating the complexity and size of the remedial work required, however we are committed to completing this necessary work as soon as is practicable."

The council leader said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those accountable to finish the project.

She said: "This framework has been a problem for years, and I share the exasperation of residents and nearby shops over these persistent hold-ups.

"However, I also acknowledge that the firm has a responsibility to make the building secure and that this remediation has proved to be hugely complex."