The former Scotland captain endured a mixed year at Gloucester after struggling for game time with the star-studded English Premiership side.

That lack of action saw Paterson dropped for the opening 2008 RBS 6 Nations game and as a result he opted to leave the Cherry and Whites this summer.

He had opportunities to kick-start his career with several other sides but the world-class goal-kicker was eager to feel part of the Edinburgh scene again.

He said: "It was not an easy choice to make to come back and in some ways it would have been more straightforward to go somewhere else.

"But when I knew a move was possible there was only one club that I wanted to join and that was Edinburgh.

"One of the most important aspects for a player is to feel part of a team and I always had that at Edinburgh.

"The togetherness in the squad makes it feel almost like being part of a family and I'm looking forward to experiencing that again."