'It's all they're talking about': Scotland gripped by World Cup fever

Seconds after Kenny McLean's shot from the halfway line hit the back of the Danish net last November, Andy Munro's children asked him a question.

"Why are so many people crying?"

The Ayrshire dad-of-three may have had a few tears to wipe away himself, and he wasn't the only one.

Eight months later, and as Scotland prepare to face Haiti in the early hours of Sunday, feverish anticipation appears to be taking hold.

From parties of thousands watching in large arenas to school kids setting alarms for the 02:00 BST kick-off, excitement, nerves and dreams linger on every street.

Lucy McEwan is a 25-year-old teacher in Glasgow, who plays at amateur level with Linlithgow Rose.

"People don't really get behind the World Cup unless your country's involved in it, and for the first time in a lot of people's lives we are involved in it," she says.

"I think everybody's super, super excited. You can see the kids are so hyped up as well about it.

"Our department actually got the FIFA Panini sticker book this year, and all the kids are coming in, trading their stickers with us.

"Everyone just seems so excited about it."

Lucy says she will be staying up for every game Scotland play, meaning her classes might have a bleary-eyed teacher on Thursday 25 June - the day after Scotland play Brazil in their final Group C match, with a 23:00 kick off.

Many pupils might have the same issues too.

Andy Munro lives in Dunlop, Ayrshire, and has three children - Harry, 14, Keir, 12 and Adam, 10.

All three boys are football fans who worship John McGinn, and none have seen the men's team take part in a World Cup.

"I think we will go to bed about eight, and then wake up around half one to watch the game - and then the boys are all playing football on Sunday morning too. So we will see how it goes.

"It's all they're talking about."

In Peterhead, pupils at Clerkhill School have made their own World Cup song, written by teacher Diane Pert - who says she put aside her jealousy at having to work while her husband flies to America for the games.

They aren't the only ones feeling musical - dozens of singers and bands have released songs to try and capture the national mood.

Signs of excitement are everywhere, and not just in the obvious pubs and supermarkets.

Chip shops and hairdressers in Glasgow's Anniesland have Saltires draped across windows, banks in Dumfries have inflatable footballs stuck on walls next to cash machines.

Bear Scotland, who look after the country's roads, named one of their gritters "Snow Scotland Snow Party", complete with someone dressed up as a kilt-wearing polar bear.

Local authorities have got in on the act too, with East Renfrewshire Council re-naming themselves East Robbo-shire Council in honour of Scotland's captain Andy Robertson - who comes from the area.

In Dumfries, one of the most colourful shows of support for Scotland is outside Kings coffee shop, with flags fluttering above its outdoor tables.

Owner Mark Smith said: "Even as we were installing them, people passing by started cheering, getting excited, even singing football songs.

"There's definitely a buzz in town. We're hearing people talking about our chances, and reminiscing over past World Cup attempts."

While 28 years have passed since the men's team reached France 98, in recent years Steve Clarke's squad have made it to two European Championships and the women's side qualified for the 2019 World Cup.

However, interest in 2026 appears to be on another level.

JD Sports says it has sold around twice as many Scotland kits as it did for the 2024 European Championships. The strip is currently the retailer's biggest seller in both the UK and the US.

Pop-up Scotland shops offering official merchandise can be found in the likes of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling.

An employee in Glasgow told the BBC that retro kits were among the biggest sellers, along with a T-shirt saying "We'll Be Coming 26" - popular among Tartan Army members travelling to America.

Places more used to holding gigs, like SWG3 in Glasgow and the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen, are screening watch parties of matches.

The country's biggest venue, the OVO Hydro, is expecting thousands of supporters and says it will have the biggest screen in the country.

"We have waited almost 30 years for Scotland to return to the biggest stage in world football, and we wanted to put the team on our stage for fans who haven't been able to make the trip across the Atlantic," says chief commercial officer Debbie McWilliams.

For pubs the World Cup offers a potential bonanza, after late licencing hours were allowed by nearly all local authorities.

Liam Logue runs Greens Sports Bar in Dumfries with his wife Cas and is expecting the pub to be packed with Scotland fans.

"We've sold 240 tickets - we originally sold 200," he said.

"Ever since we sold out we've had every man and his dog messaging us, so we probably could have sold another 100."

The current feeling is not totally new for some supporters, but rather something which has been missing for years.

With the exception of USA 94, Scotland reached every World Cup from 1974 to 1998.

For fans who grew up in that era there was an expectation that they would be there, even if the tournaments themselves inevitably proved agonising.

"I was 18 during France 98, and I decided not to go," recalls Graeme McNay, who lives in Glasgow.

"I remember thinking to myself that I would definitely go four years later, or the one after that if we did not qualify.

"You took it for granted Scotland would be at the World Cup. I didn't expect it to be another 28 years!

"There was a point when you started to wonder if you'd ever see us there again."

Tens of thousands of Scotland fans heading to the US, and the atmosphere has been building in Boston as the Tartan Army sets up camp.

Graeme has travelled to America with friends for the Haiti and Morocco games. As someone who can recall the infamous likes of a 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica in 1990, his excitement is mixed with nerves.

"I'm a bit of a pessimist so I'm worried we'll trip up against Haiti," he says.

"It's always the ones you expect to win that end up a banana skin, like Costa Rica or Morocco in 1998.

"But Steve Clarke will keep us grounded and hopefully we finally get out the group."

Optimism is running high elsewhere, though.

A worker at the pop-up store in Glasgow recalls a conversation with the parents of one very young child who was "used to Scotland winning all the time now" - a far cry from some of the dark days fans have endured over the last 28 years.

And anyone seeking positive vibes need only look a few yards from the national stadium, where adults cried last November as the final whistle went.

Lindsay Hamilton has run walking tours around the area for several years, taking in the three different places where Hampden Park has been located.

In recent weeks though, she has noticed a change.

"There's been such a buzz around the World Cup, with folk giving their predictions and sharing their own personal stories from all the previous near misses."

Other murals of McTominany and McGinn have popped up elsewhere in the country too.

For Lindsay, the mural brings back emotions - and like the rest of the country, she is hoping for more to be made this summer.

"It brings a smile every time you see it."