Teba relives Sir James Douglas' achievements with its iconic Scottish Days

Malaga province town Teba is once again preparing to host the Douglas Days event, marking its 19th edition. With this fair, recognised by the provincial authority, the town celebrates the achievements of Sir James Douglas and honours his life, which he lost in the Battle of Teba in 1330.

This year, the event will be marked by the official twinning with the Scottish town of Melrose, where the remains of the noble Scotsman rest.

During the presentation of the programme of the event, deputy president of the provincial authority Manuel Marmolejo highlighted the unique nature of this celebration, which "fuses Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Scottish cultures" in a setting that unites heritage, landscape and gastronomy. The Estrella castle and St Bride's Church in Scotland are the settings and symbols of this shared history.

Sir James Douglas, known as the Malaga Braveheart, became involved in the Spanish battle while he was on a journey to fulfil the last wish of King Robert I of Scotland - take his embalmed heart to the Holy Land. During his time on the peninsula, Douglas joined the troops of Alfonso XI in the fight against the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, taking part in the conquest of the strategic castle of La Estrella. The battle cost him and most of his knights their lives and their remains were returned to Scotland by the survivors.

The programme will begin at 8pm on Thursday, 21 August, with the presentation of La gesta de Roberto de Bruce - a work by John Barbour. That same evening, in the Plaza de la Constitución, piper Leslie Thopson will perform at the presentation of the official poster of the event, designed by Sara Gómez.

At 7pm on Friday, 22 August, the medieval street market will open on Calle San Francisco, with bagpipers, parades and interactive theatre. The institutional inauguration will be held at Plaza de la Constitución, followed by the theatre performance of Lágrimas por Itaba by José Verdugo. At midnight, Celtic folk band Stolen Notes will perform at Plaza de España.

The programme on Saturday will begin with the presentation of the book Enterrad Mi Corazón en Jerusalén (Bury My Heart in Jerusalem) by Conrado Guiducci at 11am. In the afternoon, there will be a reception for authorities and visitors, an official parade and the screening of the documentary James Douglas: The Man with Two Hearts, directed by Kike Mesa. From 9.30pm onwards, the march La Conquista de las Alquerías Tebeñas will go through medieval streets and Arab, Hebrew and Christian themed neighbourhoods. The evening will close with a concert by Mardanis, specialising in Sephardic and oriental music.

The event will conclude on Sunday with an open-day visit of local historical heritage, including the Museo Histórico Municipal, the Castillo de la Estrella, the church of Santa Cruz Real and the chapel of Nuestro Padre Jesús.