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"The debate swings from the Vikings slaughtering the population to total assimalation by the Vikings over a century or two, however there are NO place names or identifiable Pictish/Celtic markers left...
My bet is a little Dark Ages "ethnic cleansing".""

I have no informed opinion on this, but DNA studies over the coming years may very well shed some light on this. The picts are still something of a cypher ethnically, despite circumstantial/place-name evidence at least suggestive (though not conclusive, as I understand it) of gaelic linguistic origins. Once again, I would assume dna studies in eastern scotland in the coming years would shed some light on this, and at least suggest some possible close genetic relations that may present some possible linguistic connections.

Yes, the picts were sort of an odd bunch, what art work and "writting" the left behind, is very Celtic in style, bu has its own overtones. They were also different in the manner of village structure (arrangement) and building styles.
I have some friends that say the picts are still here, hiding up in the hills and waiting for all of us folk to go away...
Hope they packed a lunch!