Author: Peter Whyte
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A Day in the Life of a Remote SRE / DBA (Working from Edinburgh)
Working remotely as an SRE or MSSQL DBA can look deceptively quiet from the outside, until it isn’t! I work fully remote from Edinburgh as a Senior SQL Server DBA / SRE, supporting production systems used by internal engineering teams across multiple time zones. This post walks through a typical day: how I start my
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When Automation Stops Helping
Automation is usually presented as progress. After years of working with systems that actually have consequences, I’ve learned that this isn’t always true. If something can be done faster, more consistently, or without a human involved, the assumption is that it should be. Most of the time, that’s right. Automation removes friction and reduces obvious
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Things That Quietly Improved My Life
Most of the things that improved my life didn’t arrive as big decisions or turning points. They showed up slowly. Quietly. Almost unnoticed at the time. Looking back, the real changes weren’t dramatic at all. They were small adjustments that reduced noise, increased margin, and made life easier to live day after day. Walking more
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West Highland Way – Day 3: Beyond Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy
If you’re dropping into this series here, go back and read Day 2 first. It sets up everything that happens next. Leaving my wild camp beyond Inverarnan on the morning of Day 3 felt like a reset. I actually sleep well in the wild, sometimes better than at home, but camping close to the A82
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West Highland Way – Day 2: Rowchoish to Beyond Inverarnan
My WHW Day 1 ended late. Really late. I’d pushed on past Rowardennan to get out of the Camping Management Zone and eventually pitched near Rowchoish sometime around midnight. It was a big first day, 28 miles, over 75,000 steps, and a proper introduction to what a five day West Highland Way actually feels like.
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West Highland Way – Day 1: Milngavie to Rowardennan
On Monday 29th July 2024, I set off from Edinburgh to walk the West Highland Way, all 96 miles of it, aiming to finish by Friday 2nd August. I completed the route over five days, quicker than the more common seven or eight day itinerary, which meant longer days on the trail and fewer extended
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Scottish Wild Camping Laws & Access: What You Need to Know
Wild camping in Scotland feels natural, almost like a birthright. It’s not the only reason I camp, but knowing we can roam and sleep freely on our own land is a big part of it. That freedom is something many countries don’t allow (though they should, at least to some degree). Still, freedom comes with
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OLPRO Beckford 2-Person Tent: A Practical Field Review
I bought the OLPRO Beckford Lightweight 2-person tent on Amazon for around £130 a few months back. I’ve used it as my main solo-use tent for wild camping recently (around Scotland), and it’s holding up very well. I’ve camped with this tent during stormy rain and wind, no leaks or wet corners, completely dry inside.
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How to Defend Against Midges While Hiking
Nothing ruins a perfect Highland evening faster than a swarm of midges. These tiny biting insects are infamous in Scotland (and parts of Canada too). On their own they’re harmless, but in swarms they can turn a campsite into pure misery. Midges thrive in damp, still air, and in Scotland, that can mean almost anywhere.
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IBLUELOVER Down-Filled Camp Slippers: Warm Feet, Small Pack Size
I picked up these IBLUELOVER Unisex Soft Down Slippers on Amazon a couple of months back. They’ve been in my pack on every wild camp since, and forever will be. If you’ve ever pulled off wet, heavy boots after a full day on the trail and stepped into something light and warm, you’ll know exactly