Johnny Barclay will be a rarity in Scottish rugby this season – as someone who can hope to tap into the feelgood factor of the Lions' series win in Australia.

While the three Test matches passed by most of Scotland's rugby players, with only lock Richie Gray getting a few minutes at the end of the third, Barclay is getting ready for the new season in the Welsh heartland of the Lions success.

He is looking forward to a new start at the Scarlets, where he will find himself alongside people such as centre Jonathan Davies, one of 10 Welsh players who started the final Test and the man who kept Brian O'Driscoll out of the line-up. The Wales players were more centrally involved than Scotland's and Barclay's former Glasgow colleagues Gray, Stuart Hogg, Ryan Grant and Sean Maitland.

"The likes of Jonathan Davies coming back from the Lions tour will be a big boost, there seems to be a big buzz here," said Barclay of his new home in south-west Wales.

"It will be interesting to see the different approach to the game in Wales, the different mindset, learning off different players and it will be interesting picking Jon's brain when he gets back – about the tour and his experiences.

"Ultimately, not too many touring teams win a series and he has that achievement now. The Scarlets beat us twice last year, the core of the squad is still here and they are local guys who are passionate about the club. Rugby is big in Scotland, but there are not the same numbers playing and the law of averages would say that if there are more playing then there are more coming through.

"As for the Scotland players – Richie got on in a Lions Test and Hoggy had a pretty good tour, Ryan and Sean did well when they got the chance, so that is the nature of where things are at the moment.

"I think the Scottish boys can be pretty proud of what they did; going on a Lions tour is still a huge accolade and an achievement. They are all 25 and under, so have the potential to tour again which is what they will be aiming for."

Having been disappointed to leave Glasgow and not having added to his 41 Scotland caps this year, the main focus for Barclay is getting back on the pitch in his new surroundings – the second or third game of the season is the target.

Rehabilitation from a shoulder injury means lifting tiny weights in the gym rather than the heavy loads which might impress his new team-mates.

However, his most immediate aim is to impress the Scotland coaching team, Scott Johnson and Jonathan Humphreys, but he also has a chance to lay down an early marker with the future Scotland head coach Vern Cotter whose Clermont Auvergne side are in the same Heineken Cup pool as the Scarlets.

"It will be a first chance to meet him and see how we play against one of this teams, so that will be interesting, I'll be keen to play well in that one, I think," he said.

"I was meant to tour with Scotland this summer but had the operation, the feedback I got was very positive. Vern will obviously come in in a year or so, he will have his own ideas then but there are a lot of games to be played before then and players do not think too much about that sort of thing."

Injuries and a dip in form meant Barclay was not offered the sort of contract from Glasgow a 41-times capped player might have expected. "It will be fun to play against Glasgow and Edinburgh and against some old mates, but more importantly I am just looking forward to getting back to playing," he said. "I hope that coming here with different players and a different style of play will really help me. Hopefully, it will freshen things up and invigorate me."

"But I would expect Glasgow to do well again this year, they have a good squad, did not lose many players and have signed well. They will be one of the teams up there, but the Scarlets did the double over us last year, so it would be nice to be on the winning side in that one."

Maybe he will be, with some extra Lions experience to help them do it.