The Picts were Scythians

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http://hal_macgregor.tripod.com/gregor/Scythia.html

Similarities

Relief's of Pictish warriors on Orkney gravestones have a decidedly 'Assyrian' appearance.

Celtic art drew its inspiration from Scythia, especially about animal representation; i.e. Stylized beasts, abstract geometric decorations.

The Pictish wood-built burial chamber under a barrow was similar to that of the Scythians.

After the Scythians were overwhelmed by the nomadic Sarmatians, many migrated into Hallstatt (early Celtic) territory in Styria in present day Austria.

Both Scythians and Picts had an extreme equestrian culture, (more so than other Celtic tribes.)

Trousers and woolen cloaks were worn by Picts and other Celts, which were especially convenient when riding horses. They were not derived from the Mediterranean nor from temperate Europe. They were obviously from horsemen of the cold eastern steppes, probably the Scythians.

Both Pict and Scythian armies used women warriors, other Celts did not.

Celtic, and Scythian societies were agricultural-pastoral as each tribe was engaged in its own food production. Therefore no large urban centres were realized.

The Celts achieved a standard in arts and crafts unparalleled amongst the ancient inhabitants of trans/Alpine Europe, rivaled only by their Eurasiatic neighbours and mentors, the Scythians.

At about 700BC, there appeared in the vicinities of Celtic Hungary, Bavaria, and Austria, bronze horse-bits, and bridle mounts, which were identical to types found in Scythia.