This is an interesting opening game, given the trading places that went on over the summer.

Nicky Clark and Fraser Aird went from East End Park to Tannadice, while Mark Durnan went the other way.

United stuttered to a disappointing League Cup exit and Dunfermline powered through with four wins from four.

Among the new recruits at the Pars are brothers Jackson and Louis Longridge.

"The League Cup was good for teams to gel together, but if you ask anyone if they’d rather win the cup or win the league, I think most would choose the league," Louis told BBC Scotland.

Image source, SNS

Celtic and St Mirren are not the only ones showing off their title-winning banner today... It looks the sponsors might have a job getting the League One silverware back off Lewis Grant at Somerset Park.

Jonathan Sutherland
BBC Sport Scotland at the Simple Digital Arena

Dundee have made contact with Ayr United about striker Lawrence Shankland.

Shankland, 22, was top scorer in League One last season and already has seven goals in the League Cup.

Ayr manager Ian McCall said the Championship club would want a "significant" fee for the former Aberdeen forward.

The champions' flag unfurling honours go to Celtic legend Danny McGrain this afternoon.

The Scotland full-back spent 20 years playing for the club, making 663 appearances, and has been part of the backroom team for even longer.

The 68-year-old won seven league championship medals, five Scottish Cups, two League Cup winner’s medals and 62 international caps. A most impressive haul.

Image source, SNS

Image source, BBC Sport

Kilmarnock: MacDonald, O'Donnell, Broadfoot, S Boyd, Taylor, Burke, Dicker, Power, Jones, Erwin, Boyd.

Substitutes: MacKay, Kiltie, Ndjoli, Waters, Wilson, Thomas, Brophy.

St Johnstone: Clark, Comrie, Anderson, Gordon, Kerr, Tanser, Wright, Davidson, Wotherspoon, Kennedy, Watt.

Substitutes: Mitchell, Alston, McMillan, McCann, McClean, Scougall, Craig.

Image source, BBC Sport

St Mirren: Samson, P McGinn, Baird, Kpekawa, Coulson, S McGinn, Magennis, Willock, Smith, Mullen, Stewart.

Substitutes: Rogers, Heaton, Flynn, McShane, Kellermann, King, Cooke.

Dundee: Hamilton, Kerr, Caulker, Meekings, Curran, Madianga, Spence, Ngwatala, McGowan, Mendy, Moussa.

Substitutes: Parish, Ralph, Kusunga, Nabi, Wighton, Henvey, Moore.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Celtic: Gordon; Lustig, Ajer, Simunovic; Forrest, Brown, Ntcham, Hayes; Rogic, McGregor; Edouard.

Substitutes: Bain, Hendry, Tierney, Sinclair, Christie, Johnston, Griffiths.

Livingston: Kelly; Saunders, Halkett, Gallagher, Brown; Byrne, Pittman, Robinson, Kaja; L Miller, K Miller.

Substitutes: Stewart, Lithgow, McMillan, Jacobs, Lawless, Cadden, Hamilton.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Hamilton Academical: Woods, McMann, Gordon, Want, Penny, MacKinnon, Lyon, S Kelly, Imrie, Bingham, Miller.

Substitutes: Fulton, McGowan, Phillips, Taiwo, Cunningham, Enigbokan-Bloomfield, Boyd.

Heart of Midlothian: Zlamal, Souttar, Berra, Hughes, Garrucio, Lee, Haring, Morrison, Naismith, MacLean, Ikpeazu.

Substitutes: Doyle, L Smith, Burns, Bozanic, McDonald, Mulraney, Lafferty.

Image source, BBC Sport

St Mirren boss Alan Stubbs sees no reason to change the starting line-up that so convincingly thumped Dumbarton 6-0 in the League Cup last Saturday. Matty Willock, Cammy Smith, Danny Mullen and Ross Stewart spearhead an attacking line-up.

New midfield signing Adil Nabi could make his Dundee debut off the bench. Manager Neil McCann selects Jack Hamilton in goal and restores Sofien Moussa to the forward line.

Image source, SNS

John Barnes
BBC Scotland at Rugby Park

St Johnstone arrive at Rugby Park looking to replicate their victory here against Kilmarnock on the opening day of last season. Killie haven’t negotiated opening day fixtures very well in recent times as it’s nine year since they last won their first match of a league campaign. That was against Hamilton on 15 August 2009 when goals from Jamie Hamill and a double from Kevin Kyle secured the win.

Both sides go into this match unbeaten over 90 minutes in their League Cup group matches. Ambitions will be high for both teams with Killie looking to emulate their top six finish of last season. Saints who finished eighth last term, after three successive seasons finishing fourth, will aim to get back into the top half once more.

Chris McLaughlin
BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park

Celtic are hoping for at least two or three signings before the window closes.

I imagine the first will be 19-year-old Australian forward Daniel Arzani, who is joining Manchester City from Melbourne City. I understand he will be send straight out on loan to Celtic.

Celtic are still keen on Hibs' midfielder John McGinn, but their latest offer was a final offer and had a deadline on it, so it's now off the table. But Celtic have not given up on getting the Scotland international yet.

Accies and Hearts have both been incredibly busy over the summer, with Hamilton signing nine players and today's visitors bringing in a whopping 12 new faces.

Three of Accies new faces start for Martin Canning's side as Accies look to put behind them their failure to qualify from their League Cup group.

Ziggy Gordon plays his first game in the Scottish top-flight since leaving Partick Thistle in December 2016 for a couple of years in Poland and is joined in defence by Alex Penny, while Sam Kelly is in midfield.

Image source, SNS

Full-back Ben Garrucio has recovered from a knock to make his first Premiership start for Hearts along with fellow summer arrivals Zdenek Zlamal, Peter Haring, Olly Lee, Steven MacLean and Uche Ikpeazu.

It is the same starting line-up that hammered Inverness Caledonian Thistle 5-0 to secure progress from their League Cup group, which means Kyle Lafferty, the subject of a rejected bid from Rangers, is again on the bench.

Celtic make four changes after Wednesday's 0-0 draw away to Rosenborg set up a Champions League qualifying tie with AEK Athens. Mikael Lustig and Jozo Simunovic come into defence, while there are starts for Tom Rogic and Jonny Hayes.

It's a first appearance for former Aberdeen and Inverness CT winger Hayes since Boxing Day last year after he suffered a broken leg.

Livingston, making their first league trip to Celtic Park in over 12 years, were unbeaten in the group phase of the League Cup under new player-manager Kenny Miller, who leads the line against one of his many former sides.

As starts go, it couldn't be any tougher for newly-promoted Livingston - away to the champions.

This will be the 21st meeting between the sides in all competitions and it's been all downhill for Livi since the first - a 0-0 draw back in 2001.

Celtic have enjoyed 19 wins on the bounce, with the most recent of those coming in the 2008 League Cup.

Speaking earlier this week, player-boss Kenny Miller said: "It’s a big, big reward for the work the players have put in over the last two years and every single one of them deserves it.

"There is no getting away from the fact that you’re going to be under pressure for large spells of the games.

"It’s about us putting the structure in place that gives us the best possible chance to deal with that."

Jonathan Sutherland
BBC Sport Scotland in Paisley

St Mirren will show off the Championship flag ahead of their match against Dundee. The Buddies are back in the big time but haven’t won their opening league match of the season since 2006.

Where will the goals come from? Dundee have been linked with Ayr United striker Lawrence Shankland. We will hear from manager Neil McCann shortly.

Raith Rovers and Dumbarton are the big favourites in League One, while Peterhead are expected to lead the way in the bottom tier. Will it work out that way?

LEAGUE ONE

• East Fife v Dumbarton
• Forfar Athletic v Airdrieonians
• Montrose v Arbroath
• Stenhousemuir v Brechin City
• Stranraer v Raith Rovers

LEAGUE TWO

• Annan Athletic v Elgin City
• Berwick Rangers v Stirling Albion
• Clyde v Cowdenbeath
• Edinburgh City v Albion Rovers
• Peterhead v Queen's Park

The new season kicks off across all the divisions today and the Championship race looks wide open.

Earlier this week, Ayr United boss Ian McCall told BBC Scotland that there will be "six or seven teams with aspirations of going up".

"It's the least predictable league that's for sure," he said.

Looking at today's fixtures, it's hard to disagree... Who are you backing for top spot?

• Ayr United v Partick Thistle
• Dundee Utd v Dunfermline
• Falkirk v Inverness CT
• Morton v Queen of the South
• Ross County v Alloa Athletic

Image source, SNS

A warning for the chasing pack...

"We enter every tournament to win, and as the champions it's our job to go and win it again," said Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers yesterday.

"It's the same ideas, we want to develop the squad. That's more of our goals for this year, we want to develop the work we have put in over the last couple of years, the development of players.

"And I always think that when you work with individuals and teams, there is always room for improvement. We aim to improve in every facet of our game this season."

Image source, SNS

3-2-1 and we're back in the room... Yes, it's the return of league football in Scotland.

Champions Celtic start their quest for eight in a row and we'll get a look at top flight new boys Livingston and St Mirren.

Here's what we have in store this afternoon in the Scottish Premiership...

Image source, BBC Sport