By Ryan Crombie

THE Edinburgh derby might be many people’s stand out tie from yesterday’s Scottish Cup 4^th round draw but it’s a Highland League encounter that’s drawing a lot of attention.

Highland League outfits Formartine and Cove Rangers go head to head but a spokesman for the Aberdeen club, Duncan Little, has admitted that he would have enjoyed a trip to a professional league club.

He said: “It’s not the draw we would have preferred but it does mean that a Scottish Highland Football League club will make the 5th round this Season.

“We would have preferred a Scottish League club as it is always good to play a club you don’t meet very often or have not met at all.”

He went on to explain that it is because the scale of fixtures against fellow league opposition that a different draw would have been more favourable:“Formartine United and ourselves have been clashing about six times a Season in recent years so we are very familiar with each other. However it’s still great to be in the 4th round.”

The other notable games that the draw has thrown up are a North Lanarkshire derby, Rangers travel north to Fraserbugh , Aberdeen host St Mirren while holders Celtic welcome Championship Brechin.

The ties for this round of the Scottish Cup will be played on the 20^th/21^st of January 2018.