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Positioned on the most frequented avenues in the heart of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre sits a giant structure of metal poles and platforms.

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the corner of a key historic street and a major bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Visitors are unable to reserve stays, walkers are funneled through tight corridors, and businesses have left the building.

Remedial work commenced in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now frustrated residents have been told the structure could persist until 2027.

Extended Timelines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the initial parts of the frame can be dismantled.

A local authority figure Jane Meagher has called it a "blight" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is happening with this seemingly endless project?

A Troubled History

The sizeable hotel was constructed on the site of the former local government offices in 2009.

Figures from when it first opened under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the build cost at about a significant sum.

Construction activity got underway shortly after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

Part of the road and a sizable stretch of pavement leading up to the intersection of the historic street have been closed off by the work.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been required in a line into a tight, enclosed passage.

An eatery a well-known restaurant quit the building and moved to a different location in 2024.

In a release, its operators said construction activity had compelled them to modify the restaurant's facade, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also hosts dining franchise Pizza Express – which has hung large notices on the scaffold to inform customers it is operating as usual.

Missed Deadlines

An report to the a city committee in January this year stated that the process of "exposing" the façade would begin in February, with a full removal by the end of the year.

But the contractor has said that will not happen, citing "extremely complex" structural challenges for the setback.

"We expect starting to dismantle portions of the scaffold towards the end of next year, with subsequent enhancements ongoing after that," they said.

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

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of conservation group the a local association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for urban works.

She said those involved in the project had a "obligation to the public" to lessen disturbance and should integrate the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It renders the walking experience in that section really difficult.

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

Ongoing Efforts

A official statement said work on "solutions to enhance the appearance the site" was continuing.

They added: "We recognize the annoyances felt by nearby inhabitants and businesses.

"This has been a extended and complex process, reflecting the complexity and size of the remedial work required, however we are focused on finishing this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those involved to finish the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I share the frustration of residents and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"That said, I also appreciate that the company has a responsibility to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has proved to be hugely complex."