Scottish Cup: What do you need to know about Scottish Cup restart?

Holders Celtic have won the Scottish Cup four seasons running

Having been salvaged from the jaws of potential cancellation, this season's Scottish Cup returns on Tuesday with an accelerated road to Hampden.

The semi-finalists should have been decided by now, but the tournament is still at the second-round stage after a 10-week hiatus.

Here's a recap of where we are so far.

• Third-round draw

Why the big delay?

The Scottish Cup was halted in early January, with 12 of the 20 second-round ties still to be played, when only the Premiership and Championship were allowed to continue amid a tightening of coronavirus restrictions.

The prospects of completing the competition this season looked bleak, particularly as last term's final only took place on 20 December.

Indeed, a BBC Scotland poll saw scrapping it this season the most popular conclusion for fans. But the Scottish FA were determined to preserve their showpiece event and, following the lifting of the suspension earlier this month, a revised schedule was put together.

So the second round - which features teams from the second tier and below and was originally set for 9 January - finally comes to an end on Tuesday.

Top-flight clubs then enter the fray on 3 April and by the end of next month the field will have been whittled down to four.

The semi-finals are set for 8-9 May - the weekend before the regular Premiership season ends - and the trophy will be decided on 22 May, two weeks later than originally planned.

Things to look out for

With the third-round draw already made, there are some tasty ties against Premiership opposition dangling in front of smaller sides.

Championship strugglers Arbroath and League One leaders Falkirk battle it out for a trip to holders Celtic, who lifted the trophy in December to complete an historic quadruple treble.

And a home meeting with Aberdeen is the prize at stake for third-tier Dumbarton or Highland League outfit Huntly.

Peterhead and Stenhousemuir won't be quaking in their boots at the chance of a crack at Kilmarnock, while there's an 'El Kessocko' derby afoot if Inverness Caledonian Thistle overcome Buckie Thistle to set up a meeting with Ross County.

Elsewhere, runaway Championship leaders Hearts begin their bid to go one better than last season's runners-up finish with a trip to Brora Rangers, while Greenock Morton and Dunfermline Athletic face off in the only all-Championship tie.

Anything else?

Of the 24 teams still to play their second-round ties, six are Championship clubs and have a distinct advantage in match fitness having been spared from the shutdown.

League 1 and 2 sides resumed training at the start of March for a mini pre-season, but only played their first game on Saturday following a near three-month break.

The half dozen Highland League teams still in the mix haven't even had the benefit of 90 minutes under their belts.

While given dispensation to return to training to prepare for the cup ties, their league remains paused. The last Highland League fixtures took place on 2 January and none of the clubs in the division have played more than three matches.

So cramp could be common in the closing stages as tired legs feel the burn. And with all ties being decided on the night, extra-time is enough to strike dread into the part-time professionals.

Tuesday's second-round ties (Kick-off 19:45 GMT unless stated)

Arbroath v Falkirk

Buckie Thistle v Inverness Caledonian Thistle (20:00)

Brora Rangers v Hearts

Dumbarton v Huntly

Elgin City v Ayr United

Formartine United v Annan Athletic

Greenock Morton v Dunfermline Athletic

Keith v Clyde

Nairn County v Montrose (19:30)

Partick Thistle v Cowdenbeath

Peterhead v Stenhousemuir

Stirling Albion v Raith Rovers