The 2016–17 Scottish Youth Cup was the 34th season of the Scottish Youth Cup, the national knockout tournament at youth level organised by the Scottish Football Association for its full and associate member clubs. The tournament was for the under-20 age group, to complement current youth development strategies, having formerly been an under-19 competition. Players born after 1 January 1997 are eligible to play.
The sixteen clubs who reached the fourth round of the 2015–16 competition receive a bye to the third round of this season's tournament. The remaining thirty-nine clubs enter the first round and are initially divided into three regional groups to reduce travelling. The tournament becomes an all-in national competition from the third round onwards.