ON Monday, Vince Cable made business the latest key battleground in the independence debate but commentators from the Yes camp were quick to brand what Cable himself called a "positive and optimistic" economic rationale for a No vote a prime example of Project Fear.

The Sunday Herald contacted a range of Scottish companies to see if fear was tinging the thinking of corporate bosses. Whether for or against independence, the repeated call from the people who make the economy tick was for more facts and less bickering.

Paul Roberts is vice-chairman at Edinburgh-based Lyon & Turnbull, Scotland's oldest auctioneers.

Roberts, a Yorkshireman who relocated to Scotland's capital to join the firm 34 years ago, said: "I have huge reservations about whether independence would be good for our company. We have a business which is very heavily dependent on the goodwill of English consigners and buyers. These days nearly 30% to 40% of our business comes from down south. Would we lose it all? Probably not, but we could lose a substantial part of it.

"I don't think the public is getting the truth from either side. The reason is that I suspect that neither party knows the truth. The information we're being given to work on and make a hugely important decision is very weak from both sides. .

Leonard Russell, managing director of Ian Macleod Distillers, one of the largest independent companies in the spirits industry, echoed that call for clarity.

Russell said: "Both sides are spinning the story so preposterously that the true reality and the true facts are not being communicated.

"I have some concerns about how independence would work in practice. As Scotch whisky distillers, 80% of our production is shipped abroad. Being part of the European Community is particularly important to give us open access to markets in Europe and the stability and confidence of dealing in Europe."

Cameron McLatchie is chairman of Greenock-based British Polythene Industries which employs 400 people in Scotland and 2100 in the UK.

He said: "I'd like to see more facts and figures in the debate, and less rhetoric. Business is about making decisions based on available information and we're not getting full information from either the Yes or No brigade.''

Ivan McKee is a pro-independence businessman who has worked in manufacturing for 30 years. He has interests in businesses in Scotland, England and Eastern Europe and employs 800 people in Europe with 80 in Scotland.

McKee said: "The argument needs to be made more forcefully. The information needs to be taken out there. Let's try to understand if there are barriers or if they are figments of the imagination, which I think most of them are. There's a lot of time still, and the economic case needs to be made.

"From a business point of view when you look at the numbers, you couldn't make a better case for an independent country but people tend to be cautious and are worrying about over-playing their hand."