The Polish Cultural Festival, is to be held in Edinburgh next year. The a three-day festival will feature a Polish Medieval market, music, theatre, exhibitions and film screenings.

Organisers expect to attract more than 10,000 people, and hope it will bring the Polish and Scottish communities closer together.

Festival director Joanna Zawadzka said: "This is something we have been trying to organise, as I know there is a lot of demand from local Polish people for more cultural events, but we wanted to do something for them and for Scottish people.

"This event is as much for Scots as it is for Poles, and we want to try to encourage people to come along and learn about Polish culture."

The Polish Medieval Market, planned for Leith Links Park, will feature medieval re-enactment groups presenting sword fighting, a battle tournament and combat demonstrations involving up to 50 knights, as well as demonstrations of cookery, alchemy, woodworking, combat practice and medieval dancing.

Specialist craftsmen will give demonstrations in medieval craft, and traditional Polish food, prepared according to medieval recipes.

Other highpoints will include exhibitions of visual art by Polish artists working in Scotland, with a photo exhibition and a contemporary art exhibition featuring work by Michael Jankowski, Maja Muciek and Rafal Wilk.

Lothian is now home to around 35,000 Poles with many settling in Leith . Many Polish shops and businesses have opened in the area, and politicians have often praised both the Poles and the Leithers for the way they have settled together.

The Polish Cultural Festival will run from April 23-26 next year.