WATCH: Buckie Thistle's route to Celtic Park saw victories at Tayport, Forres Mechanics and a famous success against all the odds at Broxburn Athletic
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The road to Celtic Park has been a rocky one for Buckie Thistle.
Jags take on the biggest match in their history on Sunday when they face holders and Scottish champions Celtic in the Scottish Cup.
Unlike their hosts, who enter the competition in the fourth round, Buckie had to overcome three difficult away matches before they landed their dream draw.
The first hurdle was in Fife, where Jags drew Midland League junior outfit Tayport, three-time Scottish Junior Cup winners and dangerous opponents.
Buckie trotted out at the Canniepairt ground having lost their previous two matches at Keith in the League Cup and Banks O' Dee in the league - so morale wasn't high.
But goals by Andy MacAskill, Joe McCabe and a Jack Murray penalty had the game effectively won by half time. McCabe added his own second after the break to secure a 4-1 win.
Watch highlights on Scottish Cup youTube channel.
That win landed Jags an all-Highland League tie at Forres Mechanics, whose ranks included several ex-Buckie players.
A tense tie at Mosset Park was settled by a moment of magic, as centre back Murray curled a brilliant 25-yard left-foot effort into the top corner for the only strike of the match.
Murray's effort was voted as the best Scottish Cup goal of the second round - and rightly so.
Watch highlights on Scottish Cup youTube channel.
The third round draw put Buckie on the road again to face East of Scotland Premier Division leaders Broxburn Athletic, who had already ousted two Highland League sides in Nairn County and Deveronvale and were hell-bent on taking a third north scalp.
Jags were favourites but their cause wasn't helped midway through the first half when Scott Adams fouled a home player for a second yellow card and was sent off.
The ten men battled hard at Albyn Park and the tie was heading for extra time when Broxburn plundered a goal with nine minutes to go.
Buckie were heading out of the cup, particularly when seven minutes of stoppage time were played with the visitors still trailing.
Enter top scorer Josh Peters to steer a bouncing ball in the home box past the keeper for the latest of late equalisers.
That forced extra time and the score remained at 1-1 and heading for penalties when in the 120th minute Broxburn netted again, a speculative free kick from deep on the left side evading everyone and landing in the Buckie net.
Surely this was the end of the road for Jags? The celebrating Broxburn fans certainly thouight so, but they did not reckon on the determination of that man Peters yet again.
Once more into time added on. brave Buckie pushed forward and struck the woodwork before the home side managed to clear for a corner kick.
Jags keeper Stuart Knight, once a scorer of a Scottish Cup goal for previous club Forres, went up for the kick and got his head to the ball to loop it into the six yard box, where Peters was placed to nod it into the net and bring joy to the travelling supporters - another last-gasp equaliser.
That sent the tie into a dramatic shoot-out. Both sides converted their first four kicks, before Knight became a Buckie hero again by saving the fifth Broxburn effort.
Home hearts must have sank when they saw who stepped up to take Jags' crucial fifth spot kick. Fate determined that it would be Peters who should slam the ball into the net for a third time that day and seal a magnificent victory for the north men.
Watch highlights on Scottish Cup youTube channel.
No-one knew at the time, but that victory was to become perhaps the most important in the Victoria Park club's history - that became evident the very next day.
When Celtic's number came out in the fourth round draw, followed immediately by Buckie Thistle's, the joy that moment brought to everyone associated with the Highland League side was unbridled.
