The Scottish FA Cup was played for the 97th time in 1981/82 . The most important Scottish football cup competition, which was directed by the Scottish Football Association, began on December 12, 1981 and ended with the final on May 22, 1982 in Hampden Park in Glasgow . As the defending champion, the Glasgow Rangers started the competition, who had prevailed in the final of the previous year against Dundee United . In the final of this year's cup, the defending champions from Glasgow and FC Aberdeen faced each other. The Rangers reached the finals for the seventh consecutive time since 1976 . It was also the 36th Gers final in the club's history since 1877 . For the Dons , it was the tenth final since 1937 and the first since 1978 . Aberdeen FC won the final 4-1 after extra time, and after 1947 and 1970 they won the third Scottish FA Cup . In the final table of the Scottish Championship , the two finalists reached places two and three behind Celtic Glasgow . Aberdeen took part in the European Cup Winners' Cup the following season . This won the Dons by a final win in Gothenburg over Real Madrid . The FC Aberdeen thus became the third Scottish club after Celtic and Rangers a European Cup.