It is "essential" for tourism businesses to offer tourists a reliable broadband connection, according to Shirley Spear, the owner of a guest house and an award-winning restaurant.

Mrs Spear, who owns The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By on the Isle of Skye with her husband Eddie, told BBC News that high-quality internet access is now important as a service to guests and also as a way to promote her businesses.

The restaurant and guest house have a website, as well as Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Although she stressed that broadband coverage on Skye is "patchy", Mrs Spear said she and her husband have done everything within their power to boost the speeds available to them.

In recent years, the couple have introduced wireless broadband connectivity and improved the capacity of the service to new offices above the restaurant and other parts of the complex.

Free Wi-Fi is now a "basic essential" for anyone visiting the Highlands and Islands, the restaurateur insisted, as tourists are typically used to having fast broadband and strong 3G coverage where they live, work and travel.

"They can hardly grasp the idea of not having it when they visit the Highlands," she explained.

Holidaymakers even find it difficult to understand when the local broadband service is running slightly slower than usual, Mrs Spear claimed.

"With the widespread usage of iPhones in the past three years, visitors expect internet coverage wherever they go and are actively encouraged to use their handheld devices to find local information directions," she added.

"There is no going back, only forwards in leaps and bounds."

Last month, broadband campaigner Brian McCrow told the Press Association that next-generation access could help to encourage more tourists to explore Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders.

Faster broadband will help local businesses and event organisers to promote themselves to prospective holidaymakers, he said.

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