A list of 30 must-dos in Scottish football has been named – with some more obvious than others
The much-loved monthly Nutmeg has published a Scottish football bucket list, which includes trips to Rangers, Dingwall, and Lesmahagow.
The magazine invited Scottish football fans to pick the must-sees and dos of our national game, and they came up with anything from exotic pies to Victorian architecture. We present Nutmeg’s 30 things you should do across the board, each with their own spin – how many have you done, and how many are on your bucket list?
Stand by the Brechin Hedge – Feel the tranquil calm that watching a game beside football’s finest topiary brings. Bonus points for seeing the ball bounce back off it.
Enjoy the pleasures of Gayfield – A pre-game Smokie (but save room for a Pie Hut stop), Pleasureland slot machines, and a tap on the shoulder from the North Sea. The ideal day.
Enjoy a European game under the lights – When continental clubs visit Ibrox and Parkhead, Pittodrie, Tynecastle, and elsewhere, feel the floodlit crackle.
Do the 42 – From Elgin to Annan and everywhere in between, see the SPFL’s many residences. You’re probably halfway there already. We might as well keep going. Then there’s the Highland League…
Experience history at Vale of Leven – Travel back in time to ancient Alexandria, where the Victorian Millburn Park awaits. A timeless classic in a club where the kettle is always on.
In Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, watch at Dens, Easter Road, and Ibrox, then do it again at Tannadice, Tynecastle, and Parkhead. Weekends are electrifying.
Shake hands with Kingsley – Seeing Partick Thistle’s jaggy legend cannot fail to cheer even the most depressed soul. Shake the mascot’s hand or go crazy and high five him, whether you’re 8 or 88.
Meet the Stenhousemuir Ochilview Nordic. For decades, the Norwegian Supporters Club has been politely invading. When they come to town, go to a game and watch the shenanigans.
View a game in the Lesmahagow Colosseum – In the small Lanarkshire town can be found a venue of unique splendour: the grass-banked natural amphitheatre of Craighead Park. Go.
Climb the Tarves hill – There are various turfy sensations and enormous inclines in our game (for example, Bon Accord’s giant pitch). But neither Bonnyrigg nor Wick can compete with the Tarves ski hill.
Set the compass north and watch Eriskay v Barra. After a few drams of whisky in the AM Politician, watch a Western Isles derby on one of the world’s most picturesque pitches.
Complete a cup – Choose any team from the first round of a domestic cup. Each time, stick with the winners. Your life is in the hands of those random numbers drawn from a hat. Not a cap, but…
Look for a 4 v 5 result – Go to Station Park when Methil visitors arrive. The famous Forfar 4 East Fife 5 must occur at some point. There are worse locations to be while pursuing it.
Consume a catering hatch special – The Killie Pie is well-known, but what about our other regional specialties? Alloa’s pie on a roll, Camelon’s Steak & Buckfast pie, Armadale’s Donner Kebab pie…
Travel to Scotland to see the game – We’ll be there, and you should too. Whether you go with the Tartan Army’s seasoned kilts or on your own, you’ll be welcomed on a tour that will undoubtedly result in memories to share for years to come.
Archibald Leitch was the stadium architect equivalent of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Surprisingly little of his work survives, necessitating a visit to his Ibrox main stand.
Revel in the needle of a lower league derby – Petty? Often. Fierce? Always. But push the turnstiles at Falkirk v Dunfermline, Airdrie v Albion or for an Angus clash and survey the fireworks.
Be part of the Hampden Roar – Fans may decry the running track and miss terraced times, but there are few greater cacophonies to be among than when Scots back their team.
Wolf down a Bridie…but in Fife – This could well cause panic on the streets of Forfar, but the best Bridies to sample are those sold at Dunfermline’s East End Park.
Is Ross County’s away day to Dingwall the fans’ favourite? Possibly. Train cans, lunch at Wimpy, Mallard pints, and then homely Victoria Park are all reasons. Magic.
Rejoice at Somerset Park, Ayr United’s home, which makes first-time visitors grin and joyously remark that this ‘is how things used to be.’ It is a place we should go to, adore, and cherish.
Sunshine on Leith, Easter Road – Millions have seen the Hampden video, but on the perfect moment, you can get chills in the anthem’s actual home. It could even be sunny.
Walk down Tannadice Street – An Eighth Wonder of the World? Possibly. Two proper football grounds, on one street, as if imagined in a football-mad child’s toy town. Stroll slowly between them.
Gaze at Brutalist delight in Galashiels – Recently restored to its full concrete elegance, Netherdale’s design marvel of a main stand attracts visitors from across the globe. Be one of them.
Cathkin Park is haunted by ghosts because when Third Lanark failed in 1967, their ground was abandoned. So it is, with trees already growing on its slopes. Never before has an empty space been so atmospheric.
Take a look at Glasgow City’s remote-control taxi – If the salt and chilli chicken and chips at Petershill Park weren’t motivation enough to go, the arrival of the matchball on a miniature vehicle is.
Take in the Auchinleck Talbot v Cumnock derby – For raw rivalry, head to East Ayrshire and watch two old mining towns play toe-to-toe. This one is significant.
At Hearts, you can see an Edinburgh fringe show. Tynecastle in August, when enthusiastic noise flows from its packed stands, is without a doubt the capital’s most popular summer attraction. A riotous delight.
Listen to James Alexander Gordon once more – Was there ever a more relaxing sound than JAG’s lovely Edinburgh lilt saying ‘Hamilton Academical’? Relax by finding an old classified results recording or the latest AI version on social media….
Cappielow – Greenock Morton’s beautiful mansion, like the Titan crane and sugar barns that overlook it, should be listed. A natural wonder and a Subbuteo stadium come to life. Unmissable.
Nutmeg is a current success story in Scottish print media. It was founded in 2016 by newspaper designer Ally Palmer and will reach a crucial milestone later this month. Nutmeg’s 30th issue, due out on December 4, will feature work from a who’s who of Scotland’s finest football writers, including Grey, BAFTA winner Neil Forsyth, Stuart Cosgrove, Hugh MacDonald, The Scotsman’s very own Alan Pattullo, and Harry Pearson.
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