The 2026–27 Scottish Cup (known as the Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup for sponsorship reasons) is the 142nd season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition.
Celtic are the defending champions after defeating Dunfermline Athletic in the 2026 final.
Calendar The dates for the 2026–27 Scottish Cup were announced on 28 June 2026. RoundOriginal dateNumber of fixturesClubsNew EntriesLeagues entering at this roundPreliminary round one1 August 20265137 → 132103 qualifiers and 7 licensed clubsPreliminary round two22 August 202620 132 → 112 3535 licensed clubsPreliminary round three12 September 202610 112 → 102 NoneFirst round3 October 202630102 → 725018 Highland League teams32 Lowland League teamsSecond round24 October 20262072 → 521010 League Two teamsThird round28 November 20262052 → 322010 Championship teams10 League One teamsFourth round16 January 20271632 → 161212 Premiership teamsFifth round6 February 2027816 → 8NoneQuarter-finals6 March 202748 → 4NoneSemi-finals17 & 18 April 202724 → 2NoneFinal22 May 202712 → 1None
Preliminary round one The draw for preliminary round one was made on 28 June 2026. Three teams without an SFA club licence were required to be included in the first preliminary round draw – namely Stonehaven (as the winner of the North of Scotland Football League), Shortlees Amateurs (as the winner of the Scottish Amateur Cup), and Dundee North End (as the winner of the Midlands Football League). Seven licensed clubs were drawn to play in first preliminary round: Glenafton Athletic, Hawick Royal Albert, Jeanfield Swifts, Penicuik Athletic, Sauchie Juniors, St Andrews United and Whitletts Victoria. The remaining 35 licensed clubs received a bye to the second preliminary round.
Whitletts Victoria and Stonehaven made their debut in the tournament.
Matches
Preliminary round two The draw for the second preliminary round was made on 28 June 2026.
Teams in bold advanced to the preliminary round three.
East of Scotland LeagueWest of Scotland LeagueOthersPremier Division Blackburn United Camelon Juniors Dunbar United Dundonald Bluebell Edinburgh University Haddington Athletic Newtongrange Star Penicuik Athletic Preston Athletic St Andrews United First Division Coldstream Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare Hutchison Vale Whitehill Welfare Second Division Burntisland Shipyard Dalkeith Thistle Tweedmouth Rangers Tynecastle Vale of LeithenPremier Division Benburb Darvel Drumchapel United F.C. Irvine Meadow Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Rutherglen Glencairn St Cadoc's First Division Bonnyton Thistle Threave Rovers Whitletts Victoria Second Division Girvan Glasgow University Third Division Carluke RoversMidlands League Broughty Athletic Dundee North End Tayport North Caledonian League Golspie Sutherland North of Scotland League Premier Division Stonehaven South of Scotland League Creetown St Cuthbert Wanderers Wigtown & Bladnoch
Matches
Preliminary round three The third preliminary round consisted of the 20 winners of the previous round with no additional teams entering the competition. The draw for the round took place on 24 August 2026 at 19:00 live on the Scottish Cup YouTube channel.
Teams in bold advanced to the first round.
East of Scotland LeagueWest of Scotland LeagueOthersPremier Division Blackburn United Camelon Juniors Dunbar United Haddington Athletic Penicuik Athletic Preston Athletic St Andrews United First Division Whitehill WelfarePremier Division Benburb Drumchapel United Irvine Meadow Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Rutherglen Glencairn St Cadoc's First Division Bonnyton Thistle Threave Rovers Second Division Glasgow UniversityMidlands League Dundee North End Tayport North of Scotland League Premier Division Stonehaven
Matches
First round The first round took place on 2 and 3 October 2026 and consisted of the ten winners of the preliminary round, 18 clubs from the Highland Football League and 32 clubs from the Lowland Football League. Glasgow University of the 8th tier were the lowest ranked club still in the tournament. The draw for the round took place on 13 September 2026 at 18:00 live on the Scottish Cup YouTube channel.
Teams in bold advanced to the second round.
Highland LeagueLowland League EastLowland League WestEast of Scotland LeagueWest of Scotland LeagueOthersBanks o' Dee Brora Rangers Buckie Thistle Clachnacuddin Deveronvale Formartine United Forres Mechanics Fraserburgh Huntly Invergordon Inverurie Loco Works Keith Lossiemouth Nairn County Rothes Strathspey Thistle Turriff United Wick AcademyBerwick Rangers Bo'ness United Bonnyrigg Rose Brechin City Broxburn Athletic Civil Service Strollers Cowdenbeath Dunipace East Stirlingshire Gala Fairydean Rovers Hill of Beath Hawthorn Linlithgow Rose Lochee United Musselburgh Athletic Tranent University of StirlingAlbion Rovers Auchinleck Talbot Beith Juniors Caledonian Braves Clydebank Cumbernauld Colts Cumnock Juniors Dalbeattie Star Gretna 2008 Johnstone Burgh Kilwinning Rangers Largs Thistle Newton Stewart Pollok Renfrew TroonHaddington Athletic Penicuik Athletic Preston AthleticPremier Division Irvine Meadow Kirkintilloch Rob Roy First Division Bonnyton Thistle Threave Rovers Second Division Glasgow UniversityMidlands League Tayport North of Scotland League Premier Division Stonehaven
Matches
Second round The second round will consist of the 30 winners from the first round with the ten clubs from Scottish League Two entering the competition. The matches will be played on 24 October 2026. The draw for the round took place on 4 October 2026 at 17:00 live on the Scottish Cup YouTube channel.
League TwoHighland LeagueLowland League EastLowland League WestEast of Scotland LeagueWest of Scotland LeagueOthersAnnan Athletic Clyde Dumbarton Edinburgh City Elgin City Forfar Athletic Kelty Hearts Stirling Albion Stranraer The SpartansBanks o' Dee Brora Rangers Clachnacuddin Formartine United Huntly Keith Strathspey ThistleBo'ness United Brechin City Cowdenbeath Dunipace Hill of Beath Hawthorn Lochee United Musselburgh Athletic Tranent University of StirlingCaledonian Braves Clydebank Cumbernauld Colts Cumnock Juniors Gretna 2008 Johnstone Burgh Largs Thistle Pollok Renfrew TroonPenicuik AthleticFirst Division Bonnyton Thistle Threave RoversMidlands League Tayport
Matches
Third round The third round will consist of the 20 winners from the second round with the ten clubs from Scottish League One and the ten clubs from the Scottish Championship entering the competition. The matches will be played on 28 November 2026.
ChampionshipLeague OneArbroath Ayr United Dunfermline Athletic Greenock Morton Inverness Caledonian Thistle Livingston Partick Thistle Queen's Park Raith Rovers StenhousemuirAirdrieonians Alloa Athletic Cove Rangers East Fife East Kilbride Hamilton Academical Montrose Peterhead Queen of the South Ross County
Fourth round The fourth round will consist of the 20 winners from the third round with the 12 clubs from the Scottish Premiership entering the competition. The matches will be played on 16 January 2027.
PremiershipAberdeen Celtic Dundee Dundee United Falkirk Heart of Midlothian Hibernian Kilmarnock Motherwell Rangers St Johnstone St Mirren
Fifth round The fifth round will take place on 6 February 2027 with the 16 winners of the fourth round.
Quarter-finals The quarterfinals will take place on 6 March 2027 with the eight winners of the fifth round.
Semi-finals The two semi-final ties will take place on 17 and 18 April 2027.
Final The final will take place on 22 May 2027 at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
Broadcasting The Scottish Cup is broadcast by Premier Sports and BBC Scotland. Premier Sports has the first two picks and the fifth pick of the fourth and fifth rounds, 2 quarter-finals as well as first pick of one semi-final and airs the final non-exclusively. BBC Scotland broadcasts one match per round from the first round onwards and two matches per round from the fourth round to the quarter-finals, as well as one semi-final and the final.
The following matches were selected for live coverage on UK television:
RoundBBC ScotlandPremier SportsFirst roundCumnock Juniors v Auchinleck Talbot (streamed)Second roundThird roundFourth roundFifth roundQuarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
References