New eras begin and rivalries renewed... next season's standout Scottish Premiership clashes
The countdown to the 2025-26 Premiership campaign has now officially begun following the release of next season's fixture list.
Kilmarnock and last year's promotion play-off winners Livingston will get the ball rolling at Rugby Park on Saturday August 2 in the opening weekend's sole 3pm kick-off. Four other matches — including Celtic v St Mirren — will be shown on TV in a surprise change from the norm.
Eleven of the 12 top-flight clubs — Celtic being the exception — will have already tasted competitive action courtesy of European qualification and Premier Sports Cup group-stage matches.
Attention will then turn to what promises to be another thrilling Premiership campaign, and Mail Sport has picked out some key fixtures for fans to jot down in the diary.
Motherwell v Rangers (August 2)
New Rangers boss Russell Martin will hope to have hit the ground running on the continent before he takes his side to Fir Park to face fellow Premiership debutant Jens Berthel Askou.
The pair were team-mates at Norwich City, and Martin revealed messages were immediately exchanged after discovering they'd been thrown together for matchday one.
Rangers have found themselves playing catch-up to their rivals across the city on the opening day in each of the last two years after dropping points against Kilmarnock and Hearts respectively. That's a trend Martin needs to halt.
Falkirk v Dundee Utd (August 3)
The Bairns ended up making hard work of their journey back to the top tier following a 15-year absence. They ultimately prevailed, however, and that's all that matters.
It might be asking a bit much to expect the Championship winners to follow in United's footsteps by clinching a European spot at the first time of asking following promotion, but they will at least look to lay down a marker for the year ahead in front of a packed stadium against Jim Goodwin's men.
Dundee v Dundee Utd (August 30)
It's fair to say the appointment of Steven Pressley has done little to capture the imagination of the Dens Park faithful. No surprise considering the former Scotland defender was once on their neighbours' books.
However, he's been granted an early opportunity to get them right on side by picking up three points in the derby.
Rangers v Celtic (August 31)
For all Rangers' issues on the park last season, the players didn't have much trouble getting themselves up for Old Firm clashes. Aside from a September defeat at Celtic Park, the Ibrox side were arguably the better team in the three other league meetings which followed.
Abysmal form against pretty much everyone else proved to be their undoing. Coming into this one level on points with Celtic — at the very least — is a must.
Hearts v Hibs (October 4)
Steven Naismith had already been given the bullet by the time Edinburgh's big two locked horns for the first time last October. David Gray looked all but certain to suffer the same fate after a miserable start, and a 1-1 draw at Easter Road did little to help his cause.
Good thing they stuck with him. The former Scottish Cup-winninf captain turned things around and guided his side to third spot with room to spare.
Derek McInnes will make his Edinburgh derby bow in front of an expectant home crowd at Tynecastle.
Kilmarnock v Motherwell (November 22)
Stuart Kettlewell's departure from Motherwell in January came as a shock, but his absence from Scottish football hasn't lasted too long having been handed the reins at Killie.
With a host of first-team players having already moved on this summer, he has a big job on his hands. Getting one over on some of his main critics within the Motherwell support would be an added bonus.
Livingston v Celtic (December 27)
The prospect of the journey along the M8 to Livingston tends to send shivers down the spine of Celtic fans. It's hard to work out why, however. They've won their last four at Almondvale, scoring 12 in the process.
David Martindale has hinted he'd like to implement a change in style on Livi's return to the Premiership. It will be interesting to see whether or not he is successful.
Celtic v Rangers (2026 — January 3)
What better way to bring in 2026 than with the second Old Firm instalment of the season. Rangers thumped their rivals 3-0 in the corresponding fixture, but dropping four points over the next seven days brought them back to earth with a bump.
Aberdeen v Celtic (February 4)
A chilly midweek drive to Pittodrie lies in wait for the champions in early February. Sealing third spot will be the Dons' main ambition next season, but that will be no mean feat while also attempting a run in Europe.
St Mirren v Rangers (March 14)
Not one that would have previously stood out on the calendar, but Stephen Robinson's men took seven points from the teams' four meetings last season.
After watching his players draw 2-2 in Paisley in April, former Ibrox interim boss Barry Ferguson admitted the fear factor was gone. The Saints are testament to that.
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