The 2023–24 Scottish Cup (known as the Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 139th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The 2023–24 edition marked the 150th anniversary of the tournament which was established in 1873–74. The winners would qualify for the 2024–25 Europa League play-off round.
Celtic were the defending champions after defeating Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the 2023 final and successfully defended their title after beating Rangers 1–0 in the final.
Calendar Following an increase in the number of entries, an additional preliminary round was added to the competition format. Replays were also removed entirely from the tournament, having been restricted to just the Preliminary Round in the previous season.
RoundOriginal dateNumber of fixturesClubsNew EntriesLeagues entering at this roundPreliminary round one12 August 2023 3 131 → 128 77 qualifiersPreliminary round two2 September 2023 26 128 → 1024848 licensed clubsFirst round23 September 202330102 → 723418 Highland League teams16 Lowland League teamsSecond round28 October 20232072 → 521010 League Two teamsThird round25 November 20232052 → 322010 Championship teams10 League One teamsFourth round20 January 20241632 → 161212 Premiership teamsFifth round10 February 2024816 → 8NoneQuarter-finals9 March 202448 → 4NoneSemi-finals20 & 21 April 202424 → 2NoneFinal25 May 202412 → 1None
Preliminary round one The draw for preliminary round one was made on 26 July 2023. The seven teams without an SFA club licence were required to be included in the first preliminary round draw – namely Abbey Vale (South of Scotland League champions), Beith Juniors (West of Scotland League champions), Carnoustie Panmure (Midlands League champions), Culter (North Region Juniors champions), Cupar Hearts (Amateur Cup winners), Loch Ness (North Caledonian League champions), and Luncarty (Cup Winners' Shield winners). They were drawn into three ties with Culter drawn to receive a bye to the second preliminary round.
Abbey Vale, Cupar Hearts, Loch Ness, and Luncarty all took part in the competition for the first time.
Matches
Preliminary round two The draw for preliminary round two was made on 26 July 2023. Carluke Rovers are taking part in the competition for the first time having gained their SFA club licence, along with Glenafton Athletic who previously competed as a qualifier.
Teams in bold advanced to the first round. East of Scotland LeagueWest of Scotland LeagueOthersPremier Division Broxburn Athletic Dunbar United Dundonald Bluebell Haddington Athletic Hill of Beath Hawthorn Hutchison Vale Jeanfield Swifts Luncarty Musselburgh Athletic Penicuik Athletic Sauchie Juniors Tynecastle First Division Blackburn United Camelon Juniors Dunipace Newtongrange Star Preston Athletic St Andrews United Vale of Leithen Whitehill Welfare Second Division Burntisland Shipyard Coldstream Dalkeith Thistle Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare Third Division Hawick Royal AlbertPremier Division Auchinleck Talbot Beith Juniors Benburb Clydebank Cumnock Juniors Darvel Glenafton Athletic Irvine Meadow Pollok First Division Kilwinning Rangers Rutherglen Glencairn Second Division Bonnyton Thistle Glasgow University Third Division Girvan Threave Rovers Fourth Division Carluke RoversMidlands League Lochee United Tayport North Caledonian League Fort William Golspie Sutherland North Region Junior Football League Culter South of Scotland League Creetown Dalbeattie Star Newton Stewart St Cuthbert Wanderers Wigtown & Bladnoch Kingdom of Fife AFA Cupar Hearts
Matches
First round The draw for the first round was made on 3 September 2023.
Teams in bold advanced to the second round. Highland LeagueLowland LeagueEast of Scotland LeagueWest of Scotland LeagueOthersBanks O' Dee Brechin City Brora Rangers Buckie Thistle Clachnacuddin Deveronvale Formartine United Forres Mechanics Fraserburgh Huntly Inverurie Loco Works Keith Lossiemouth Nairn County Rothes Strathspey Thistle Turriff United Wick AcademyAlbion Rovers Berwick Rangers Bo'ness United Broomhill Caledonian Braves Civil Service Strollers Cowdenbeath Cumbernauld Colts East Kilbride East Stirlingshire Edinburgh University Gala Fairydean Rovers Gretna 2008 Linlithgow Rose Tranent University of StirlingPremier Division Broxburn Athletic Dunbar United Dundonald Bluebell Hutchison Vale Jeanfield Swifts Luncarty Musselburgh Athletic Penicuik Athletic Sauchie Juniors First Division Camelon Juniors Dunipace St Andrews United Whitehill Welfare Second Division Dalkeith ThistlePremier Division Auchinleck Talbot Beith Juniors Clydebank Cumnock Juniors Darvel Pollok First Division Kilwinning Rangers Third Division Threave RoversMidlands League Tayport North Caledonian League Golspie Sutherland North Region Junior Football League Culter South of Scotland League Dalbeattie Star
Matches
Second round The draw for the second round was made on 24 September 2023 at 5pm live on the Scottish Cup YouTube channel. Teams in italics were unknown at the time of the draw. Teams in bold advanced to the third round. League TwoHighland LeagueLowland LeagueEast of Scotland LeagueWest of Scotland LeagueBonnyrigg Rose Clyde Dumbarton East Fife Elgin City Forfar Athletic Peterhead Stenhousemuir Stranraer The SpartansBanks O' Dee Brechin City Brora Rangers Buckie Thistle Clachnacuddin Deveronvale Formartine United Forres Mechanics Fraserburgh Huntly Turriff UnitedAlbion Rovers Bo'ness United Broomhill Civil Service Strollers Cowdenbeath East Kilbride Gala Fairydean Rovers TranentPremier Division Broxburn Athletic Dunbar United Jeanfield Swifts Luncarty Musselburgh Athletic First Division St Andrews UnitedPremier Division Beith Juniors Clydebank Cumnock Juniors Pollok First Division Kilwinning Rangers
Matches
Third round The draw for the third round was made on 29 October 2023 at 7:30pm live on the Scottish Cup YouTube channel.
Teams in italics were unknown at the time of the draw.
Teams in bold advanced to the fourth round.
ChampionshipLeague OneLeague TwoTier 5Tier 6Airdrieonians Arbroath Ayr United Dundee United Dunfermline Athletic Greenock Morton Inverness Caledonian Thistle Partick Thistle Queen's Park Raith RoversAlloa Athletic Annan Athletic Cove Rangers Edinburgh City Falkirk Hamilton Academical Kelty Hearts Montrose Queen of the South Stirling AlbionBonnyrigg Rose Clyde Dumbarton Forfar Athletic Peterhead The Spartans StranraerHighland League
Brora Rangers Buckie Thistle Formartine United
Lowland League
Albion Rovers Bo'ness United Broomhill Cowdenbeath TranentEast of Scotland League Premier Division
Broxburn Athletic Dunbar United Jeanfield Swifts
West of Scotland League Premier Division Cumnock Juniors Pollok
Matches
Fourth round The draw for the fourth round was made on 26 November 2023 during Sportscene on the BBC Scotland channel.
Teams in bold advanced to the fifth round.
PremiershipChampionshipLeague OneLeague TwoTier 5Aberdeen Celtic Dundee Heart of Midlothian Hibernian Kilmarnock Livingston Motherwell Rangers Ross County St Johnstone St MirrenAirdrieonians Ayr United Greenock Morton Inverness Caledonian Thistle Partick Thistle Raith RoversAlloa Athletic Cove Rangers Falkirk Kelty Hearts Montrose Queen of the SouthBonnyrigg Rose Clyde Dumbarton Forfar Athletic The SpartansHighland League Brora Rangers Buckie Thistle
Lowland League Broomhill
Matches
Fifth round The draw for the fifth round was made on 21 January 2024 during Sportscene on the BBC Scotland channel.
Teams in italics were unknown at the time of the draw.
Teams in bold advanced to the quarter-finals.
PremiershipChampionshipLeague OneLeague TwoAberdeen Celtic Heart of Midlothian Hibernian Kilmarnock Livingston Motherwell Rangers St MirrenAirdrieonians Ayr United Greenock Morton Inverness Caledonian Thistle Partick ThistleCove RangersBonnyrigg Rose
Matches
Quarter-finals The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 11 February 2024 at 4:40pm live on BBC One Scotland.
Teams in italics were unknown at the time of the draw.
Teams in bold advanced to the semi-finals.
PremiershipChampionshipAberdeen Celtic Heart of Midlothian Hibernian Kilmarnock Livingston RangersGreenock Morton
Matches
Semi-finals The draw for the semi-finals was made on 11 March 2024 live on BBC Scotland following the Greenock Morton v Heart of Midlothian match.
Teams in bold advanced to the final.
PremiershipAberdeen Celtic Heart of Midlothian Rangers
Matches
Final
Broadcasting The Scottish Cup is broadcast by Viaplay Sports and BBC Scotland. Viaplay Sports has the first two picks of the fourth and fifth rounds, the quarter-finals as well as first pick of one semi-final and airs the final non-exclusively. BBC Scotland broadcast 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 ScotlandViaplay SportsFirst roundUniversity of Stirling v Albion RoversSecond roundMusselburgh Athletic v ClydeThird roundDunfermline Athletic v Raith RoversFourth roundClyde v AberdeenThe Spartans v Heart of MidlothianDumbarton v RangersCeltic v Buckie ThistleFifth roundGreenock Morton v MotherwellAirdrieonians v Heart of MidlothianRangers v Ayr UnitedSt Mirren v CelticQuarter-finalsAberdeen v KilmarnockGreenock Morton v Heart of MidlothianCeltic v LivingstonHibernian v RangersSemi-finalsAberdeen v CelticAberdeen v CelticRangers v Heart of MidlothianFinalCeltic v Rangers
References