A SCOTSMAN’S quest to conserve remote cultures and reverse youth migration will be the subject of a fascinating talk in West Linton next Wednesday.

The subject of the presentation at West Linton Village Centre will not be remote parts of Scotland, however, but the Dolpo-pa; the indigenous yak herding tribes of the Himalayan peaks.

Gavin Anderson from Ullapool has spent over 25 years working in international development which included researching how the people of North West Nepal could benefit from adventure tourism often sadly fixated on Mount Everest and Annapurna areas.

He spent time with the Dolpo-pa, in snow leopard country, and discovered how tourism had passed them by due to inaccessibility and poor infrastructure.

Drawing on experiences of developing enterprises in both remote Scotland and around the globe, he developed Nomadic Skies Expeditions, a tourism company aimed at harnessing and developing the skills of the native Nepalese villagers.

Not only will talk attendees learn how Gavin’s company plans to help build a new economic future for these people, listeners can also play their part by joining one of the tours in 2019.

Gavin said: "There are many parallels between the more remote parts of Scotland, which we all know well, and the seldom visited valleys of the High Himalaya of North West Nepal.

"Essentially, both need to have sustainable ways of making a living to avoid the young people moving away, and ensure that the unique culture of the area survives.

“What I will be looking at in the talk in West Linton, as well as giving an insight into life amongst the turquoise lakes and snow-capped peaks, is how Nomadic Skies Expeditions will attempt to test a whole new form of tourism that will benefit these remote cultures.

“How can we prevent the negative and unintended consequences of tourism and make sure the local benefits are maximised? I am sure people will have their own views, from the Scottish perspective as it is something that concerns all of us, and it will be good to hear them.

“People will also be given the opportunity to be part of the journey with us.”

Gavin's talk takes place on Wednesday, October 10 in the West Linton Village Centre from 7.30pm.