Buckie Thistle’s reward for beating Formartine United is a marathon Scottish Gas Scottish Cup trip to Annan Athletic - their 16th away trip in 20 cup draws
There can’t be a football club that’s clocked up more Scottish Cup miles than Buckie Thistle in the last decade.
The Jags made a relatively short journey to Pitmedden on Friday night and defeated Highland League leaders Formartine United 2-0 in front of the BBC Scotland cameras - see match highlights above.
Manager Lewis Mackinnon spoke about his desire for a rare home draw in round three, and instead he landed a trip to the Borders to face League 2 Annan Athletic.
It will be the third time in his long Jags career that Mackinnon has made the 250-mile trek to Galabank for a cup clash when the sides meet on Saturday, November 29.
Incredible, in the last eight seasons, Buckie have entered a Scottish Cup draw 20 times and have come out as the away team on 16 occasions.
“I've been down there twice before,” he said. “I think the first time we beat them, the second time we drew in Buckie and had to head down the road for the replay.
“In the 19-20 years that I’ve been at the club, it must be about 75-80 per cent of Buckie’s cup games that have been away from home.
“This will be three times I've been to Annan and twice to Wigtown, Stranraer and Gretna as well.”
It’s fortunate for the green and whites that their main sponsors are local firm Maynes Coaches, whose buses have taken the club up and down the country on numerous occasions in recent seasons.
Annan will be Jags’ fifth consecutive Scottish cup away draw and their ninth in the last three seasons - their only home clash in that time was against Carluke Rovers last season.
Buckie have also had home draws against BSC Glasgow in 2022, Caley Thistle at an empty Victoria Park during the pandemic, and Civil Service Strollers in 2019.
Their only other home game in the past eight years didn’t emerge from the draw, as they drew with Cumbernauld Colts in 2021 and won the replay at the Viccy when cup replays were still a thing.
Mackinnon may have spies in the stands at Borough Briggs this weekend, as Annan head to Elgin City for a League 2 match.
“In my head, we've got a chance,” he said. “We can go down and try and do something.
“We're underdogs again and see how we get on. We've done it in the past.”