A bustling street in Scotland's capital will remain closed to traffic for 'weeks to come', it has been confirmed.
109-112 Princes Street caught fire early on Thursday morning, resulting in part of the city centre thoroughfare being shut to vehicles and pedestrians.
On Tuesday afternoon, City of Edinburgh Council confirmed that Princes Street will remain closed between Frederick Street and South Charlotte Street into August.
The local authority said that work to make the building safe and preserve historical features has begun, and is expected to take several weeks to complete.
"While, of course, I’m disappointed that Princes Street is to remain closed for weeks to come, our priority must be on the safety of the public," council leader Jane Meagher said.
"Our focus continues to be on making the building safe while aiming to retain as many of its historic features as we can. This is a painstaking process and will take time."
The Labour councillor said she was "acutely aware" that disruption is expected across the city centre during the festival season next month.
She added: "We will continue to work with bus, tram, and other transport colleagues to keep the city moving as best we can."
Bus diversions are in place along George Street and Queen Street, while trams to and from the airport terminate at Shandwick Place.
The diversions will likely force a U-turn on the council's plan to pedestrianise George Street during August.
Willie Hamilton of Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams told the BBC that the situation was "fluid".
He remarked: "It will be changing, sometimes hour to hour. Once we've got a date for length of time for this, that will determine whether the upcoming closures, for example of George Street for the festival, has to be a consideration or not."
The update from the council comes a day after bus users urged the local authority to implement "immediate, temporary bus priority measures in the First New Town to prevent total gridlock”.
Edinburgh Bus Users Group (EBUG) have called for the temporary installation of bus-only lanes on George Street, restrictions on parking and loading, and adjustments to traffic light timings at key intersections.
The group told the council: "We appreciate that Council teams are working under immense pressure to assess the building’s structural safety.
“However, transport policy cannot sit on the sidelines during a long closure. We must protect the reliability of the bus network and ensure that Edinburgh keeps moving during this crisis.”
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On Tuesday, Ms Meagher went on to say: "We’re also in regular contact with festival and event organisers with a view to minimising the impact on our events calendar, while ensuring those attending can easily access the latest information and guidance before travelling.
"This an ever-changing situation and we will provide further updates as and when new information becomes available.
"I want to thank people for their patience and understanding and have no doubt that we can still look forward to a fantastic summer of festivals here in Edinburgh."
A dedicated webpage with regular updates has been created and can be accessed via the council's website.
