SKYE is “open for business” despite “sensationalist” reports, according to more than 150 local firms behind a public declaration.

Celebrated chef Shirley Spear, owner of the renowned Three Chimneys restaurant, is amongst signatories to a letter asserting a warm welcome to visitors.

Hospitality and leisure firms say “sensationalist” stories in the media threaten the “unpredictable” tourist trade.

READ MORE: Letters: Skye and Raasay is well and truly open for business

This follows coverage of overcrowding on local roads and other amenities.

The letter, also signed by Ian Blackford MP, Kate Forbes MSP and island councillors, states: “We would hate to see an industry which has taken many years to develop undermined by a few stories which don’t fairly depict the efforts of hardworking people across the area.”

Representatives of Skye Jeep Tours, Isle of Skye Yachts and Torabhaig Distillery have all added their names to the statement.

It reads: “We are all fortunate enough to live and work on the Isle of Skye and Raasay. Over many years, these islands’ residents have built up the tourism industry so that Skye boasts a warm welcome, excellent hospitality and a unique experience.

“Nearly everybody on the islands is linked in some way to tourism, and the economic opportunities of the tourism industry support the rural and remote communities of Skye, Raasay and beyond.

“The tourist industry can be a relatively unpredictable industry and so it concerns us to see sensationalist stories in the press, for a second year running, which could jeopardise the jobs, businesses and income of local people.”

On the seasonal visitor surge – which brings a cash boost that helps sustain related companies through quieter times of the year– it continues: “Whilst it is true that some areas of the island are busy, it is no more so than the North Coast 500 or the likes of Morar Sands.”

The letter ends: “The Isle of Skye and Raasay, like many areas of the Highlands and Islands, is home to communities whose future is dependent on good jobs, steady incomes and business opportunities.

“Tourism makes a critical contribution to the local economy, and indeed the wider Scottish economy, and indirectly enables people to live, work and raise a family on the island.

“As such, we write to categorically assert that Skye and Raasay is well and truly open for business.”

The statement comes less than a week after Skye visitor must-see the Fairy Pools was named the most romantic place in the UK in a survey for publisher Mills & Boon.

The beauty spot is amongst the isle’s biggest draws and has been the focus of coverage about overcrowding.

However, funding has been secured to improve facilities there by providing car parking and toilets.

Efforts to provide easier access are also underway.

Further works are ordered at Storr, while improvements have already taken place at Neist Point and the Quiriaing.