If Edinburgh University postgraduate Piers Sellers had had his way, the remains of an ancient pair of trousers, reputedly once worn by the 16th-century Calvinist firebrand John Knox, would be preparing for orbit right now.
But it was not to be. Edinburgh declined a request by the third Briton in space to take the Geneva Bonnet, supposedly fashioned from an old pair of Knox's breeches, with him when he next joins the crew of Nasa's space shuttle, Atlantis .
The bonnet has been used at graduation ceremonies to confer degrees with a gentle tap on the head for many years. The university authorities balked at letting such an artefact leave the planet, even if it was only for a few days. They decided, as the immortal song Donald Where's Yer Troosers? almost puts it: "Ye canna take the breeks to the Highlands man!" This despite recent studies that found only fabrics dating from the mid-19th century in its construction and a hidden label reading: "Henry Banks, 22 Duke Street, Edinbr 31 July 1849."
Edinburgh is, however, letting Sellers take an embroidered university logo, which will subsequently be stitched to the cap.
The bonnet and a university flag that he carried on a space shuttle mission in 2002 are on display in the foyer of the Old College in Southbridge.