Blog

Welcome to the Pict Expeditions blog where you can immerse yourself in the adventures we have been having. Read on and be inspired to come with us..

A different way to enjoy the mountains - Sheep Herding with the locals in Öræfa.

Tuesday 22nd September 2020
Daniel Saulite

It's early on a Thursday morning as Svanhvít and I finish our coffees unceremoniously and jump into her truck. She is a local woman, born and raised here, the daughter of a sheep farmer and a teacher/ranger. Although she is rather petite she exudes strength and a defiant pride that can throw anyone in their place if or when needed. I am feeling honoured that she has invited me to join her community today in one of their oldest traditions. We pulled up to a large farm house at the eastern end of Svínafell, a cluster of buildings spaced generously apart and tucked neatly under gigantic basalt cliffs with cascading waterfalls and towering pinnacles. To the south, lush, flat planes…

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A dogs life

Saturday 8th August 2020
Dan Saulite

Most of us have fond memories of a dog or dogs that have been in our lives. During those fine years spent with our four legged friends we have petted, groomed, molly coddled, trained, scolded, forgiven, fed, watered, walked, hiked, scrambled, chased, picked up after, talked to, vented to and sadly in the end we have experienced their body and minds age accelerate past our own into winter and then beyond. Jazz was a fine border terrier pup, she was from a litter down in the borders where the breed gets its name from. The pick of…

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The bothy

Friday 18th October 2019
Dan Saulite

Alone, surrounded by the hills it stands small and proud, mostly empty, cold, dormont. Patiently waiting for some company, perhaps a red deer will come sniffing lazily around the walls for a while or a crow may land and ponder on the chimney for a moment. Eventually a tired hiking party will slowly appear on the horizon. In the wind and the rain, ice and snow, they will come and when they do this cold stone empty shell will be transformed into a glowing oasis in the desert, its little windows burning orange, a beacon for all to see from miles around. Lairig Leachach bothy. November 2019 Bothies are very basic, small stone cottages, usually tucked away in the wilder parts…

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Winter in the Cairngorms - 1

Saturday 10th March 2018
Dan Saulite

A week before we set off on the Cairngorms trip I snuck off for a wee reconnaissance trip with my awesome sister Katy to reacquaint myself with the grand terrain of the Cairngorms, One of Scotland's great wilderness areas. We found it to be rather chilly but in fairly good condition, a fine autumnal landscape.... So skip to 5 days later and the roads up to Braemar are closed with deep snow. Temperatures have plummeted across the country into the minuses and suddenly the Cairngorms plateau has put on her winter coat, beautiful, formidable, unforgiving. Pick ups done, we drove up the A9 to Dunkeld where we lunch'd at my favourite bar in Perthshire, The Taybank. The silvery Tay river and…

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Winter in the Cairngorms - 2

Thursday 8th March 2018
Dan Saulite

Day two dawned and with it i arose and was met by a dramatic landscape of white and grey, the gigantic shining slabs of Creagan a' Choire Etchachan loomed silently above us, surrounded by a cape of deep snow. Soon the camp was buzzing and people were preparing for the next task. The plan today was to give the group an easier day to counterbalance the first one, Winds were still high on the tops and conditions up there would have made moving arduous to say the least. We opted to again stay low in the valley and skirt around Derry Cairngorm and hike the very picturesque Glen Derry. Soon the snow had all but disappeared and we had entered a…

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Winter in the Cairngorms - 3

Wednesday 7th March 2018
Dan Saulite

The day was 'all hallow's eve' but as the sun came up over the forest around us there was not one ghoulish thought amongst us. The inside of my tent had frozen overnight so I hung it up in the dazzling sunshine between two lovely old beach trees then made my way over to the stove which was boiling over, full of the promise of strong coffee. As I sat on a fallen tree enjoying my morning cup I was pleased to see that the tent groups were moving around with a busy efficiency that usually takes a few days on the trail to acquire. There was a buzz in the air and no mistaking it, people were feeling strong…

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Winter in the Cairngorms - 4

Monday 5th March 2018
Dan Saulite

At some point in the early hours possibly 4 or 5 am I awoke to the sound of a red deer, a stag i supposed as it announced itself with a grand bellow. A fine way to be woken i thought as i rolled over and fell back asleep. When I did finally get up I saw that our new friends had already departed, The rutting stag was too much for 'He who must not be named' and his death eaters. This was to be our last big day in the Highlands and what a day it was, the weather was looking fantastic and the forecast suggested it would remain that way all day (to be taken with a pinch of…

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