🔗 Share this article

Positioned on the most popular thoroughfares in the core of Scotland's historic capital looms a monolith of construction framework.

For five years, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the intersection of the famous Royal Mile and George IV Bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Tourists cannot book rooms, pedestrians are directed through confined passages, and businesses have vacated the building.

Restoration efforts began in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now exasperated residents have been told the scaffolding could persist until 2027.

Prolonged Deadlines

The construction firm, the main contractor, says it will be "close to the conclusion" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be dismantled.

A local authority figure a council official has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is going on with this apparently perpetual project?

Background Issues

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

Projections from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the cost of construction at about thirty million pounds.

Work on the building 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 large section of sidewalk leading up to the corner of the historic street have been left out of action by the work.

Walkers going to and from the a nearby area and another locale have been required one after another into a narrow, covered walkway.

A dining establishment a popular spot departed from the building and transferred to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

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

It is also hosts restaurant chain a pizza restaurant – which has hung large banners on the scaffold to remind customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in the start of the year stated that the process of "revealing" the façade would start in February, with a total takedown by the end of the year.

But SRM has said that is not the case, citing "extremely complex" construction issues for the delay.

"We project starting to dismantle sections of the scaffold near the finish of next year, with additional work proceeding afterwards," a statement read.

"Efforts are underway closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we deliver an better site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A heritage director, head of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for development.

She said those associated with the project had a "obligation to the public" to minimise disturbance and should blend the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It renders the experience for those on foot in that area of the city very hard.

"I don't understand why there is not an effort to incorporate it within the street view or produce something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Ongoing Efforts

A company representative said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was ongoing.

They continued: "We recognize the frustrations felt by the community and shops.

"This represents a extended and complex process, highlighting the complexity and scale of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to completing this necessary work as soon as is practicable."

The council leader said the council would "maintain pressure" on those involved to complete the project.

She said: "This framework has been a negative presence for years, and I understand the frustration of locals and area enterprises over these persistent hold-ups.

"However, I also recognize that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building structurally sound and that this remediation has been hugely complex."