The festival is a fusion of Teba's Scottish and Andalusian traditions. SUR

Town celebrates its historical Scottish connection

The Douglas Days festival highlights the plight of Sir James Douglas, a Scottish nobleman who fought and was killed in the Battle of Teba in 1330

TONY BRYANT

TEBA.

Friday, 2 September 2022, 13:55

After a hiatus of three years, the town of Teba, in inland Malaga province, came out in force last weekend to celebrate the Scottish Douglas Days festival, an event that commemorates the Battle of Teba.

The four-day festival highlights the plight of Sir James Douglas, a Scottish nobleman who fought and was killed in the battle in 1330 while on his way to the Holy Land with the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce.

As well as highlighting the fusion of Teba's Scottish and Andalusian traditions and gastronomy, this festival, which has been declared a Unique Tourism Event by the Malaga provincial authority, also focuses on sites of historical interest in the town, especially St Bride's church (where the heart and remains of Sir James Douglas are buried) and the Estrella castle.

This year's event attracted hundreds of visitors, who enjoyed a historical reenactment of the battle, guided tours of the castle and a medieval market. There was also Arabic and Celtic music, a Moorish and Scottish tapas route and workshops in pottery, coin minting and glass blowing, among others.

As with previous editions, the festival enjoyed the collaboration of numerous associations and organisations, including The Strathleven Artizans, who travelled from Scotland to participate in the event.

Others included the Saint Andrew's Society of Gibraltar, the Alzar el Vuelo cultural association, the Order of Knights Templar of San Miguel, and The Sur Pipes Band from Benalmádena.