Scottish Premiership

Scottish Premiership is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). It was formed in 2013 after the merger of the SPL and the Scottish Football League, but the competition itself traces back to 1890 under the Scottish Football League Division One.

History and facts

Scotland is home to one of the oldest football league systems in the world. The national league was first established in 1890, with clubs like Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, and Hibernian among the early participants.

The modern Scottish Premiership was introduced in 2013 after league restructuring. It consists of 12 teams, playing a unique system: 33 regular-season matches followed by a split into Championship and Relegation groups.

Historically, the league has been dominated by the two Glasgow giants: Celtic and Rangers, often referred to as the “Old Firm”.

League system

The Scottish Premiership is the top tier of the SPFL pyramid. Promotion and relegation occur with the Scottish Championship (second tier), which includes a playoff system involving multiple teams.

Table 1. Scottish football tiers

League	Tier
Scottish Premiership	1
Scottish Championship	2
Scottish League One	3
Scottish League Two	4
Highland & Lowland Leagues	5

Below these levels, Scottish football continues through a national pyramid of semi-pro and amateur leagues.

Stats

Teams with most titles

This table lists the clubs with the most Scottish league championships since 1890.

Table 2. Scottish champions (multiple titles)

Club	Titles
Rangers	55
Celtic	54
Aberdeen	4
Hearts	4
Hibernian	4
Dundee	1
Dundee United	1
Kilmarnock	1

Only two clubs – Celtic and Rangers – have dominated for more than a century.

Teams with most league participation

These clubs have spent the most seasons in the Scottish top division.

Table 3. Clubs and league participation

Club	Seasons
Rangers	120+
Celtic	120+
Hearts	105+
Hibernian	100+
Aberdeen	95+
Dundee United	60+
Dundee	60+

More than 50 teams have competed in Scotland’s highest league tier since 1890.

Audience

Stadium capacities

Table 4 lists some of the largest and most iconic stadiums in Scotland.

Table 4. Major stadium capacities in Scotland

Team	Stadium	Capacity
Celtic	Celtic Park	60,411
Rangers	Ibrox Stadium	50,987
Hearts	Tynecastle Park	20,099
Aberdeen	Pittodrie Stadium	20,866
Hibernian	Easter Road	20,421

Players

Top goalscorers & appearances

The all-time top scorer in Scottish league history is Jimmy McGrory, with 410 goals for Celtic — one of the highest totals ever recorded globally.

One of the players with the most appearances is Dave Mackay, an icon of Scottish football, followed by many legendary defenders and midfielders.

Famous players

Kenny Dalglish
Jimmy Johnstone
Brian Laudrup
Henrik Larsson
Ally McCoist
John Greig
Gordon Strachan
Virgil van Dijk
Shunsuke Nakamura
Scott Brown