We take a look at the clubs hoping to wrestle the title away from Walter Smith's Rangers this term.
A look at the clubs hoping to wrestle the title away from Rangers
Rangers boss Walter Smith will be looking to top last season's double triumph when the Clydesdale Bank Premier League season kicks off.
Smith steered the Ibrox club to the league and the Homecoming Scottish Cup last term but will face a stern test from newly-appointed Celtic boss Tony Mowbray this time around.
Throw into the mix the prospect of a UEFA Champions League campaign and Smith will have his work cut out to improve on last season's efforts.
There will be others also hoping the Champions League proves a distraction. Here
skysports.com takes a look at each club's chances this season
ABERDEEN
Manager: Mark McGhee
Position last season: Fourth
Ground: Pittodrie
Capacity: 21,600
Players in: Stuart Nelson (Norwich, free).
Players out: Scott Severin (Watford, free), Lee Mair (St Mirren, free), Jamie Smith (released).
Key man: Sone Aluko
Chances: Aberdeen will be optimistic McGhee continues his record of making a major impact in his first season at a new club and emulates his third-place finish with Motherwell.
Skysports.com prediction: Third
Sky Bet odds on title: 250/1
CELTIC
Manager: Tony Mowbray
Position last season: Second
Ground: Celtic Park
Capacity: 60,800
Players in: Lukasz Zaluska (Dundee United, free), Marc-Antoine Fortune (Nancy, £3.8million) Landry N'Guemo (Nancy, loan), Danny Fox (Coventry, undisclosed).
Players out: Shunsuke Nakamura (Espanyol, free), Bobo Balde (released), Paul Hartley (Bristol City, free), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (released).
Key man: Aiden McGeady
Chances: Mowbray has injected power and pace into the side with his first two signings and Celtic fans anticipate some exciting football.
Prediction: Champions
Sky Bet odds: 5/6
DUNDEE UNITED
Manager: Craig Levein
Position last season: Fifth
Ground: Tannadice
Capacity: 14,200
Players in: Steve Banks (Hearts, free), Danny Cadamarteri (Huddersfield, free), Jennison Myrie-Williams (Bristol City, free), Andy Webster (Rangers, loan), Damien Casalinuovo (free)
Players out: Lukasz Zaluska (Celtic, free), Michael McGovern (released), Warren Feeney (Cardiff, end of loan).
Key man: Scott Robertson
Chances: Craig Levein will be expected to add a European place to his plaudits in his third full season but Francisco Sandaza's double hernia will leave United without their main goal threat for the first six weeks.
Prediction: Fourth
Sky Bet odds: 150/1
FALKIRK
Manager: Eddie May
Position last season: 10th
Ground: Falkirk Stadium
Capacity: 7,200
Players in: Brian McLean (Motherwell, free), Ryan Flynn (Liverpool, loan), Marc Twaddle (Partick Thistle, undisclosed) Alex MacDonald (Burnley, loan), Danijel Marceta (Partizan Belgrade, loan), Vitor Lima (Ethnikos Piraeus, free).
Players out: Steven Pressley (retired), Michael Higdon (St Mirren, free), Dani Mallo (free agent), Kevin McBride, Patrick Clegg, (both Hibernian, free), Dean Holden (released), Steve Lovell (released), Mark Staunton (released), Arnau Riera (free agent), Gerard Aafjes (MVV Maastricht, free).
Key man: Darren Barr
Chances: A big test for rookie manager Eddie May after Falkirk survived the drop on the last day of the season.
Prediction: 12th
Sky Bet odds: 1000/1
HAMILTON
Manager: Billy Reid
Position last season: Ninth
Ground: New Douglas Park
Capacity: 6,000
Players in: Marvin Andrews (Raith, free), Izzy Iriekpen (Bristol City, free).
Players out: James McCarthy (Wigan, £1.2m plus additions), Brian Easton (Burnley, £350,000 plus additions), Kenny Deuchar (St Johnstone, free), Derek Asamoah, Stephen Ettien (both released), Rocco Quinn (Queen of the South, free), Chris Swailes (Gateshead, free), Joel Thomas (Colchester, £125,000), Mark Corcoran (Partick Thistle, free).
Key man: James McArthur
Chances: Comfortably stayed up in their debut season in the SPL despite injury problems but second season will prove a test following the loss of two of their star youngsters.
Prediction: 10th
Sky Bet odds: 1500/1
HEARTS
Manager: Csaba Laszlo
Position last season: Third
Nickname: Jam Tarts
Capacity: 18,000
Players in: Ian Black (Inverness, free), Suso Santana (Tenerife, free), Dawid Kucharski (Lech Poznan, undisclosed), Ismael Bouzid (Ankaragucu, undisclosed), David Witteveen (Red Bull Salzburg, undisclosed).
Players out: Christos Karipidis, Bruno Aguiar (both Omonia Nicosia, free) Robbie Neilson (Leicester, free), Mike Tullberg (Reggina, end of loan), Saulius Mikoliunas, Deividas Cesnauskis (both released).
Key man: Andrew Driver
Chances: Expectations will be high after Laszlo's impressive first season but European campaign could stretch their smaller squad.
Prediction: Fifth
Sky Bet odds: 100/1
HIBERNIAN
Manager: John Hughes
Position last season: Sixth
Ground: Easter Road
Capacity: 17,500
Players in: Patrick Clegg, Kevin McBride (both Falkirk, free), Danny Galbraith (Manchester United, undisclosed).
Players out: Grzegorz Szamotulski, Andy McNeil, David Grof (all released), Ross Chisholm (released), Steven Fletcher (Burnley, £3m), Alan O'Brien (Swindon, free), Rob Jones (Scunthorpe, undisclosed), Denes Rosa (released).
Key man: Derek Riordan
Chances: The loss of skipper Jones and top scorer Fletcher will give Hughes an uphill struggle in his bid to improve on last season.
Prediction: Seventh
Sky Bet odds: 300/1
KILMARNOCK
Manager: Jim Jefferies
Position last season: Eighth
Ground: Rugby Park
Capacity: 18,100
Players in: Graeme Owens (Middlesbrough, free), Mark Burchill (Rotherham, free)
Players out: Allan Johnston (released), David Lilley (Queen of the South, free), Grant Murray (Raith, free), Willie Gibson (Dunfermline, nominal).
Key man: Kevin Kyle
Chances: Kyle's goals will give Kilmarnock every chance of making the top six but Killie need to avoid the injury problems that have dogged them over the last two seasons.
Prediction: Sixth
MOTHERWELL
Manager: Jim Gannon
Position last season: Seventh
Ground: Fir Park
Capacity: 13,742
Players in: Michael Fraser (Inverness, free), Steven Jennings (Tranmere, free), Chris Humphrey (Shrewsbury, free), John Ruddy (Everton, loan), Giles Coke (Northampton, free).
Players out: Graeme Smith (Brighton, free), Bob Malcolm (Brisbane Roar, free), David Clarkson (Bristol City, £800,000), Brian McLean (Falkirk, free), Stephen Hughes (free agent), Paul Quinn (Cardiff, £300,000) Maros Klimpl (free agent), Cillian Sheridan (Celtic, end of loan).
Key man: Stephen Craigan
Chances: Much will depend on new boss Gannon's recruitment skills after Well lost the bulk of their first team.
Prediction: Eighth
RANGERS
Manager: Walter Smith
Position last season: Champions
Ground: Ibrox
Capacity: 50,411
Players in: None
Players out: Christian Dailly (free), Brahim Hemdani (free), Dean Furman (Oldham, undisclosed), Barry Ferguson (Birmingham, £1.25m).
Key man: Madjid Bougherra
Chances: First championship win in four years has strengthened their resolve but lack of spending power and vulnerability to bids for key players could prove costly.
Prediction: Second
Sky Bet odds: 5/6
ST JOHNSTONE
Manager: Derek McInnes
Position last season: First Division champions
Nickname: Saints
Ground: McDiarmid Park
Capacity: 10,673
Players in: Dave MacKay, Murray Davidson (both Livingston, undisclosed), Kenny Deuchar (Hamilton, free), Danny Grainger (Dundee United, undisclosed) Graeme Smith (Rangers, free), Filipe Morais (Inverness, free).
Players out: Kevin James (Ayr), Steven Doris (Arbroath).
Key man: Paul Sheerin
Chances: Some shrewd buys and their resilience will give the Perth side a fighting chance of staying up.
Prediction: 11th
ST MIRREN
Manager: Gus MacPherson
Position last season: 11th
Ground: St Mirren Park
Capacity: 8,000
Players in: Lee Mair (Aberdeen, free), Michael Higdon (Falkirk, free), Paul Gallacher (Dunfermline, undisclosed).
Players out: Jim Hamilton (Partick Thistle, free), Marc McAusland (Queen of the South, free), Gary Mason (released), Will Haining (released), Franco Miranda (CAI, free).
Key man: Andy Dorman
Chances: Holding on to attacking midfielder Dorman and adding goals up front will be crucial but St Mirren will expect to turn their improving overall play into points.
Prediction: Ninth.
