The most magical weekend in the Scottish football calendar is upon us once again. The Scottish Cup fourth round is back!

With league duty pushed to the sidelines for one week only, the world's oldest national association trophy takes centre-stage - and it's back in its January slot, too.

This weekend sees Highland League outfit Cove Rangers travel to Fir Park to face Motherwell, with the holders Inverness CT up against fourth-tier Stirling Albion. The magic of the cup is alive and well!

Here are seven things to love about Scottish Cup fourth round weekend.

Every football fan has a checklist, tallying which grounds they've yet to visit in Scotland. The routine of league football can make away days somewhat tedious (there's only so many times you can relish stopping at Tullibardine on the way north) - but cup weekend throws open the realms of possibility.

Of course, that means the possibility of a 200-mile round trip for some (like the one Celtic fans face down to Stranraer this Sunday), but the novelty of a top-flight support in their thousands pitching up at a lower league stadium - usually home to no more than a handful of locals and the odd dog - remains strong. Even if there are never enough pies and Bovril to go around.

Last year there was Spartans' win over Morton, and Albion Rovers triumph against Motherwell the season before that. And of course, who could forget Clyde's famous win over the Hoops in 2006 - as well as Stenhousemuir's unlikely triumph over Aberdeen in 1995?

Nowhere is the magic of the cup as pure as it is in the fourth round, when David gets one more shot at Goliath. There is no team too small - with Scottish football's biggest and best teams brought down to everyone else's level for one weekend only. In football, the odds are often stacked in favour of the favourites, but not always in the Scottish Cup fourth round.

Life for lower league fans can be a struggle. Between Googling directions to Annan (does anyone really know where it is?) and finding grainy highlights of matches on fans' forums, those further down the pyramid aren't always catered for. Not on Scottish Cup fourth round weekend, though!

Airdrieonians, Stirling Albion, Cowdenbeath, Stranraer - even Highland League sides like Cove Rangers - will get their moment in the spotlight, and a spot on primetime Saturday night television too. So set your telly boxes to record - this'll be the best thing on the small screen since the Sherlock Christmas special.

Scottish Cup fourth round weekend often coincides with the opening of the January transfer window, providing new signings with the first chance to turn out for their new clubs. Although such a situation can prove a culture shock for some.

Just ask Freddie Ljungberg, who made his debut for Celtic in an away tie at Berwick Rangers in 2011, or Roy Keane whose bow for the Hoops came in a defeat to Clyde. If either player needed reminding that they're not in Kansas anymore, they certainly got it in the Scottish Cup fourth round.

There's something irresistibly romantic about a cup run, especially when it comes from a side outwith the SPFL pyramid. East Kilbride and Cove Rangers are flying the flag for Lowland and Highland League teams this season, having beaten Stenhousemuir and Formartine respectively to reach the fourth round.

Highland and Lowland League teams are being taken more seriously - as confirmed by Mark McGhee, whose Motherwell side face Cove Rangers this weekend - and that can only be a good thing for the attraction of the Scottish Cup. More upsets means more excitement.

Rival football fans are not exactly renowned for their unity, but that will change when St Mirren host Partick Thistle this Friday night. The Scottish Cup fourth round tie will see a section of the ground opened to both sets of fans in a move St Mirren say is "something not seen in most Scottish football grounds for decades".

And if a mixed zone between rivals fans isn't enough to entice you to St Mirren Park this Friday night, then perhaps a race between Paisley Panda and Kingsley might change your mind. The Buddies might face a tough clash against top-flight opposition, but at least they're not facing an Aztec sun god!

McGhee loves it, so does Tommy Wright - and after Inverness CT's triumph last season John Hughes probably cherishes the competition too. But the Scottish Cup's appeal stretches far beyond those shores, apparently.

Going by recent marketing of the competition, the famous trophy is loved by both Andre Villas-Boas and Marcello Lippi - naturally. Rumour has it that the former Chelsea manager often has Scottish Cup action beamed into Zenit St Petersburg's dressing room. AVB has been absolutely gripped by East Kilbride's run to the fourth round!

Graham Ruthven