The Scotland fans making their mark at the Qatar World Cup

Most Scotland fans person been assuming a acquainted presumption connected the sofa for this year's World Cup, with the men's squad erstwhile again absent from the finals.

Scotland whitethorn not person not qualified for the World Cup since 1998 but immoderate members of the Tartan Army person inactive made the travel to Qatar to bask the football.

Despite logistical, fiscal and motivation concerns, saltires and kilts person been spotted astatine the Fifa tournament.

Brian Hendry, from Aberdeen, is astatine his ninth men's World Cup since 1982, but has lone seen Scotland play astatine 3 of them.

Brian is successful Doha with a radical of 5 friends, each successful their 60s and primitively from the Granite City.

"We're present conscionable to ticker football," helium tells BBC Scotland. "Supporting France 1 day, Brazil the next, Mexico the next, America a fewer times.

"If Scotland can't beryllium determination wherefore not ticker the best?"

Brian says helium and his kilt-wearing friends person been mobbed astatine games by planetary fans who privation a representation of Scotland's nationalist dress.

"They emotion them," helium says. "It's hundreds of photos astatine each game. Hundreds – and it's radical from each nationalities."

Brian, a retired theatre worker, has chiefly been backing the USA owed to household ties successful the country.

He says: "Scotland person been astatine the World Cup rather a fewer times but it doesn't substance if they're not.

"It makes it amended if we're present but if they're not it's inactive large football."

Among those welcoming the travelling Tartan Army members is Zoe Clark, who moved to Doha from Aberdeen 2 years ago.

She lives determination with her 2 sons and hubby Michael, who runs Qatar's Scotland supporters club.

"For Scotland fans, evidently we haven't experienced a World Cup for a long, agelong clip and it was astir wrong touching region this year," Zoe says.

"So to spot radical past coming implicit and inactive being capable to bask it has been incredible."

Discounted tickets person been offered to Qatar residents, with Zoe and her household taking successful games featuring Senegal, Netherlands, France, Spain and different World Cup heavyweights.

They besides anticipation to get tickets for the last astatine the Lusail Stadium connected 18 December.

Her son, Cameron, 12, was besides selected arsenic a emblem bearer for Brazil's opening lucifer against Serbia.

Yet possibly much than immoderate different World Cup, Qatar 2022 has been dominated by ethical concerns.

Homosexual acts are amerciable successful Qatar, with punishments ranging from fines and imprisonment to decease by stoning.

Amnesty besides says that since the World Cup was awarded to the state successful 2010, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers person faced quality rights abuses while employed to physique wider infrastructure indispensable to big the tournament, arsenic good arsenic the venues.

World Cup seasoned Brian says this tourney has been "wonderfully organised" for fans, who person enjoyed "brilliant" upwind and "magnificent" stadiums.

But helium adds: "We spell to the stadiums and we deliberation astir the workers. That has to beryllium addressed.

"Then LGBT rights. Of people we're alert of that and tin enactment that but we've besides got to retrieve determination are teams present that don't enactment it."

He believes sporting events tin assistance "shine a light" connected specified issues.

"They person to beryllium handled, person to beryllium highlighted and hopefully athletics tin bash that, and it has to beryllium done successful the close way," Brian says. "Now is the time."

Qatar 2022 main enforcement Nasser al Khater has said laws connected homosexuality volition not alteration and visitors should "respect our culture".

"Few countries person travel truthful acold truthful quickly, and Qatar present leads the portion connected labour rights," a spokesperson for the authorities said.