Home from another fabulous Iceland Equine Photo Tour!

A big shout out to the beautiful group of ladies that joined me this year for my 2024 Iceland Equine Photo Tour; Jackie, Patti, Faith, Tracy, Kim and Chris! We were blessed with amazing photographic opportunities, wonderful fellowship, delicious food and lots of laughter thanks to the lovely hospitality provided to us by Skálakot Manor Hotel and staff.

Each generation in Iceland has had to contend with the challenges posed by the environment, volcanic eruptions, ash fall, famine, cold summers and their impact on vegetation and livestock. Mummi and Jóhanna, the owners of Skálakot have created the perfect place to retreat, their Icelandic hospitality revolves around the guest leaving richer than when they arrived.

So much appreciation goes out to Christine and Birta at Skálakot for all your hard work that went into making this event a success.

This was my tenth trip to Iceland, and I can honestly say it never gets old. Each year I love to show guests “my” Iceland. While there are Icelandic Horses everywhere, it’s the farm we stay at that really shows the horses off for us in all their splendor with the iconic Icelandic scenery; waterfalls, lupine fields, water crossings, herds of stunning horses all presented just for our photographic pleasure!

The beautiful Lupine we see in Iceland is not native. So, you may ask how did it come to Iceland?

With the country’s harsh and unforgiving climate and steep terrain, it did not take long for Iceland’s fragile volcanic soils to wash away. To prevent further erosion and help heal Iceland’s barren lands, lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis) was brought over from Alaska in the 1940s for its soil-enhancing properties.

Iceland is an island, located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the country is a hot spot and one of the most active volcanic areas on earth. Large parts of the country are geothermal active, which means that there is no shortage of hot water. The geothermal activity along with rivers provides Icelanders with inexpensive geothermal and hydroelectric power. Iceland covers an area of 103,000 km2 (39,756 sq. miles), which is about one third larger than Scotland. About 11% of the country is covered by glaciers, with the Vatnajökull glacier being the largest.

Due to the Gulf Stream the Iceland climate is quite mild throughout the year. The average temperature for June has an average high of 52 degrees F and an average low of 44 degrees F. On average, 20-22 hours of daylight can be experienced in June, and the “darkness” only lasts from 11:30 PM until 3:30 AM. 

While this Tour to Iceland is full through the year 2027, I do welcome those that would like to be placed on the waitlist. Things happen, dates conflict, finances don’t work out, so you never know, it’s possible to get in sooner!

All Images ©PhyllisBurchettPhoto, LLC – Iceland Equine Photo Tour 2024