Cessna 206 are excellent aircraft. A friend of mine has one with an engine conversion to the 350hp turbo and that will pull 6 people and all the bags you can fit in it and full fuel out of a 500m strip no problem.
I do a lot of short field stuff, high wing aircraft are designed for the job. Cessna 210's are also very good but you've got rectractable gear which add's to servicing.
Can't say much about Pipers because never flown anything bigger than an Archer. 110kts sounds very slow, my mate with the 206 mentioned above claimes 135kts comfortable cruise. The 210 will do 160+
Operating in the UK? Own an oil well?? they all drink it!!