A number of more experienced players have been left out of the squad as McGeechan seeks to bring through younger talent for next season's World Cup and Six Nations Championship.

Michael Blair, who started the season with Edinburgh Academicals, is given the chance to press for his first international start as one of only two scrum-halves in the party.

Blair has been given the chance to complete the rapid rise from League Three obscurity to a full Scotland cap this summer.

The very least the 21-year-old can expect is a place on the bench for the Test double-header with Canada and the United States.

Meteoric rise

It would be a meteoric rise for the youngster but there is little doubt that his talents are rated highly by McGeechan.

Blair said: "This time last year I couldn't even imagine playing for Edinburgh, let alone Scotland.

"Once I found out I was in the squad, I rushed through the profiles to see how many scrum-halves there were.

"The opportunity of playing a Test match is huge and I will be working hard to be given the chance.

"This is a huge boost to my confidence because it proves the selectors have faith in my ability," he added.

However, he impressed as replacement against the French and is emerging as a clear candidate to take over from Redpath should the veteran Sale skipper decide to retire after next year's World Cup.

Worcester's Australian-born centre Ben Hinshelwood and 19-year-old back-row Ali Hogg are also among the names to watch in the squad.

Test commitments

George Graham, James McLaren, Scott Murray, Bryan Redpath, Tom Smith and Gregor Townsend will all be left at home.

McGeechan admitted the squad could yet be affected by the Zurich Championship play-offs.

Tour captain Budge Pountney, Northampton team-mate Mattie Stewart, Sale's Iain Fullarton and Stuart Grimes of Newcastle are all involved in quarter-final matches this weekend.

If their teams win through to the last four, it would effectively rule them out of the first week of the trip.

"We may have to look at leaving them behind because there is no question of us pulling them away from their clubs," said McGeechan.

"But they will link up with us when those commitments are over because I want them for the Tests, when it matters."

Hands-on

McGeechan continued: "There is a lot of potential within the squad - the challenge is to realise it."

The Scotland coach will take a more hands-on coaching role in the absence of John Rutherford due to business commitments.

"The top end of the game is very demanding and I have never brought in so many young players before.

"This is a tough tour both in terms of travel and the physicality of the teams we are playing against.

"We are not the biggest side, so technically we have to make sure we are absolutely spot on," he concluded.

Squad: G Beveridge (Glasgow), M Blair (Edinburgh), A Craig (Orrell), M di Rollo (Edinburgh), A Henderson (Glasgow), B Hinshelwood (Worcester), D Hodge (Edinburgh), R Kerr (Glasgow), B Laney (Edinburgh), G Metcalfe (Glasgow), C Paterson (Edinburgh), T Philip (Glasgow Hawks), G Ross (Edinburgh), N Walker (The Borders), J Brannigan (Edinburgh), G Bulloch (Glasgow), I Fullarton (Sale), S Grimes (Newcastle), N Hines (Edinburgh), A Hogg (Edinburgh), A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), M Leslie (Edinburgh), D Macfadyen (Glasgow), G McIlwham (Glasgow), J Petrie (Glasgow), B Pountney (Northampton, capt), R Russell (Saracens), S Scott (The Borders), C Smith (Edinburgh), M Stewart (Northampton), S Taylor (Edinburgh), J White (Glasgow).

Itinerary:

1 June - Scotland v Barbarians at Murrayfield.

5 June - Canada East v Scotland in Kingston, Ontario 2330BST

8 June - Rugby Canada v Scotland in Markham 1930BST

12 June - Canada West v Scotland in Victoria, British Columbia 0230BST

15 June - Canada v Scotland (Test match) in Vancouver 0000BST.

18 June - USA A v Scotland (Time and location tbc)

22 June - USA v Scotland in San Francisco 2100BST.