The bus begins its marathon journey

About 24,000 Hoops fans are expected to fly from Glasgow and Prestwick airports in time for the match against Portuguese giants Porto on Wednesday.

At least as many again are expected to travel to Spain from elsewhere in the UK, with more than 50,000 expected to make the trip.

Many have gone to great lengths to make it to the showpiece final.

Drum kits

A group of 12 fishermen from the Outer Hebrides have chosen to make the journey in a 23-year-old former school bus.

Donnie MacNeil is driving the bus from the tiny island of Vatersay, which lies south of Barra in the Western Isles.

He said the plan to drive to Seville was only hatched a week ago and the bus was a "wreck" before they began to work on it in preparation for the journey.

However, equipped with a 2,000 watt PA system, drum kits, a light show, and a video player, they are now on their way to southern Spain.

The fans have plenty of entertainment on board

It is a journey which began on a single-track road to Barra.

That was followed by a seven-hour ferry journey to Oban, a 600-mile drive to Portsmouth, a 35-hour ferry to Bilbao and 500-mile road trip to Seville.

None of the men has a ticket for the match, but they do have their own band.

Accordionist Micheil Caimbeul said he was going over for "the craic".

He said: "We'll probably get a tan. Hopefully. And we could have a game of footy with the locals.

Showpiece match

"We'll maybe see (BBC Scotland Sports Presenter) Chick Young. He might supply us with a ticket for the game."

Mr McNeil agreed: "I think it is just to do with the atmosphere of the whole thing.

"To have actually been in Seville when Celtic win the cup, which I am sure they are going to do.

"It will just be as exciting watching it on a big screen in the centre of Seville as it will be at the actual game."

Other fans are travelling from as far afield as the US, Australia and the Far East for the club's first European final in 33 years.

But less than half of those travelling to Seville will have a ticket for the showpiece match at the 52,000 seater Olimpico Stadium.

Both clubs were awarded 15,700 tickets.

Thousands more were snapped up on the Uefa website by fans who gambled on their team making the final at the quarter-final stage of the competition.