A prominent figure on Skye has sent out a message that the island is “well-and-truly open for business” as she appealed for calm amid a row over rising numbers of tourists.
Shirley Spear, owner of the celebrated The Three Chimneys restaurant and chairwoman of tourism group SkyeConnect, called for a “collaborative effort” to address the issues, which she said were not unique to Skye.
She spoke out after becoming alarmed at reports of the island being “full” and police turning visitors away, which she said “do not help at all and are not truthful”.
Mrs Spear said work was already well under way to address some of the concerns and urged everyone involved to join together “to maintain and protect our island for the future”.
SkyeConnect Ltd was relaunched officially in March 2017 and has since secured backing from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and held talks with local authority leaders, Scottish Government ministers and tourism chiefs.
Mrs Spear said: “SkyeConnect is speaking out loudly about the lack of investment in the region and our voice is not going unheard.”
She added: “Collaboration is key in everything we are aiming to achieve. We are not a marketing organisation intent upon bringing more visitors to Skye.
“We are a business-to-business organisation, intent upon sharing information and ideas and becoming a strong, singular voice for Skye, recognised for creating a force for change and much-needed improvements to our island’s infrastructure.
“The challenges facing local communities are real and difficult. However, tourism is the lifeblood of the local community, affecting the income and lifestyle of every person who lives and works on the island, both directly and indirectly.”
Speaking to the Press and Journal, Mrs Spear said the island does need “major investment” in its roads and communication technology, as well as public toilets, saying: “The free-for-all cannot go on in a disorganised fashion forever.”
And she said more work was required to encourage tourists to not only visit a series of “pinch points” on the island, and to be better prepared when going to remote areas.
“Everyone involved in the tourism industry in Skye, also lives and works in the area too,” she added.
“Their children and families belong to the area and they fully understand that the future of their home environment is at stake.
“It will take a successful and collaborative effort, working hard together, to maintain and protect our island for the future, whilst making it possible to live and work together in such a beautiful area of Scotland.”