A Largs television producer’s exploration of the fascinating Incan empire in South American broadcast across the UK this week.

Dominic Gallagher produced and directed the BBC4 series, “The Inca: Masters of the Clouds”, which will explore the origins and achievements of the Incan empire The episodes are presented by archaeologist and South American expert, Dr Jago Cooper.

Dominic and his film crew joined Dr Cooper as he travelled from the highlands of Ecuador to the shores of Lake Titicaca in Peru; from the Pacific Coast to the peaks of the Andes.

Along the way, Dr Cooper builds a picture of how this remarkable empire functioned and mastered their landscape to produce food for millions. The show will also delve into how they exported their unique architectural style spread across the continent, and built an astonishing network of roads to connect the cities of the empire. The episodes will be broadcast on Thursday 8 and 15 January at 9pm.

Dominic, who now lives in Glasgow with his wife Suzanne, and two children, Lachlan, 6, and Honor, 3. revealed to the ‘News’ that travelling to South America, and filming in some high altitudes to learn about the life of the Incas proved to be a challenging, but ultimately fulfilling, experience. His father is local Labour councillor Alex Gallagher.

Dominic, who won a Scottish BAFTA award for a Panorama programme in 2009, said: “This new documentary is really about the amazing rise and the subsequent speedy fall of the Incas. It became the biggest empire in the world at the time, and rose really quickly from a little town in the Andes, and within a hundred years, it was gone.

“It conquered all of the south coast of South America, but when the Europeans arrived, the empire fell. We investigate what made it rise so quickly and what made it fall so quickly.” The Inca Empire encompassed mountains, forests, desert, and coastal plains. In order to move people quickly and the Inca needed roads. They developed an incredible network which stretched for 40,000 kilometres, from modern-day Ecuador to Argentina. When the landscape proved too inhospitable for stone, they used straw, constructing beautiful bridges like the Keshwa Chaca bridge (pictured right) – which is still in use today.

Climb Dominic and his team had to climb to as far as 19,000 feet into the Andes. He said: “The air was very thin and the altitude made you tire very quickly. You could become dizzy and light-headed quickly if you were not careful. The environment is tough and that is a big part of the story. The Incas worshipped mountains and streams and considered them to be very sacred places.

“We followed the route and the climate was tough but it was really rewarding and gave you a great sense of the heights that the empire reached in its quest for success.” The 40 year old producer, who formerly worked on the Jonathan Dimbleby Sunday afternoon political programme, explained that the Incas were successful because of their ability to adopt unique farming methods at the different altitudes and adapt to the various climates. Instead of invading, and causing bloodshed, the Inca tribes encouraged others to join them through showing other countries and cultures how they could flourish in testing conditions.

“At one point,” revealed Dominic, “we were filming higher than Everest base camp - and we had to walk with small steps. Big strides could very quickly tire you out. Walking any distance while carrying camera equipment can be exhausting in that climate, and we had altitude sickness pills. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, and it was really tough to maintain concentration, and we had to move at generally a much slower pace. However, it gave you a greater understanding and appreciation of how the Incas achieved what they did, and how they interacted with their environment.” The Incas chewed on coca leaves - the plant from which cocaine derives - to help them adapt to the severe conditions.

Dominic added: “The Inca road network still exists in its original form. In Peru and Ecaudor, the governments built roads next to them so they are still here today.” And in a scene which would not have looked out of place on an Indiana Jones movie, the presenter and crew also walked along a rope bridge that was built out of straw, not an experience that Dominic particularly enjoyed until it was over!

Frightening He said: “The Keshwa Chaca rope bridge is basically a suspension bridge which is made out of straw. It still exists today and is maintained by the community. It was very frightening going across the rope bridge with all the expensive and heavy camera equipment. It was a case of ‘Don’t look down!’” “It is 100ft above a gorge and you felt every single movement on the bridge! It is an amazing feat of engineering and I am sure it is perfectly safe!” Dominic said that a lot of the original farming methods, culture and personality of the Inca tribes still exists in Latin America.

He said: “They farmed just about everything. The Inca created farming terraces for potatoes, maize and corn, and each of the terraces represents a different temperature, with some of the microclimates having ten degrees difference between them.

“You just wouldn’t expect some of the crops at that kind of altitudes but the Incas achieved this.” “This was how they managed to expand so quickly and effectively the thrust of the programme shows that the Incas were problem solvers, and were able to flourish in high altitude environments.

“They had peaceful expansions - and said to others that we can give you these advantages if you join us - that is the genius of the Incas.” Dominic, presenter Dr Jago Cooper, and his crew of five, including a translator, camped in the mountains during filming, as well as staying in hotels, during their four weeks stint in South America.