He has declared himself fit for the start of the new campaign and is looking forward to fighting for his place with Edinburgh's Scotland stars.

Matt Mustchin – who made his Scotland debut against Argentina in June – and Ben Gissing have been joined by Hamilton, who signed from Leicester after a lack of action with Leicester saw him fail to find his best form in the RBS 6 Nations.

“I’ve been training for the final few months of last season and also the first few weeks of pre-season, so I feel like I’m in good shape. I’m hoping to stay injury-free for next season," said Turnbull.

“For a player, it is always good to have competition for places. It is good to have guys like Jim, Chops (Mustchin) and Ben Gissing around because you learn from these players because they have got the experience.

“There is much more of a competition element with Edinburgh and there are targets we have got to meet. 

"It is generally a more intense environment with everyone striving for the same thing; first-team rugby.”