LISTEN: North sides braced for new format of League Cup
Holders Ross County, along with Inverness CT and Elgin City, all return to competitive action in the BetFred League Cup
We are only a week since the end of Euro 2016, but the Scottish football season gets underway this weekend with the new format League Cup.
With four groups of five in the north section - and a similar line up of southern sides - this gives us eight mini-leagues A to H.
The winners progress to the next phase with the four best runners up also going through.
That gives us 12 teams and the four others to make up the last-16 comes from those in European action, Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts and Hibs.
Holders Ross County head to Montrose's artificial surface to open the defence of their trophy.
The Staggies skipper hopes the mid-July start to the season will brace County for a more competitive Premiership season:-
For Caley Thistle, they head to Cowdenbeath - relegated last season to League Two - but new boss Richie Foran hopes to set off in the right manner.
Foran hopes the quick start to the campaign sees his players as keen as him to get going:-
Last season's League Two runners-up Elgin City host St Johnstone, with the Black & Whites this week signing RAF Lossiemouth serviceman Ben Cullen (forward) and former Dundee United midfielder Scott Smith.
They join midfield trio Kieran Stewart, Chris Dodd and Jamie Reid - who returns after a spell on loan at Borough Briggs - as well as strikers Kevin McLeish and another returnee Shane Sutherland.