Space invaders: Nasa asked about free parking on Mars

Mars rover Curiosity has been exploring sites on the Red Planet that have been given Scottish names

Nasa has been asked if National Trust for Scotland (NTS) members would get free parking on Mars, should they ever be able to get there.

The trust has made the request in a tongue-in-cheek letter after learning some geological features on the Red Planet have been given Scottish names.

They include places such as Torridon where NTS owns property and its members can visit for free.

The trust has also invited space scientist Prof Linda Kah to St Kilda.

Prof Kah, of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, was allowed to name an area of Martian geology after the remote Scottish archipelago because of a family connection to the islands.

NTS helps to manage St Kilda.

In the 1930s, after the islands had been evacuated of their last residents, Prof Kah's great grandfather suggested that his family leave their home in Greenock and move to St Kilda. His teenage children refused to go.

Susan Bain, NTS' Western Isles area manager, said: "This story demonstrates the incredible stories behind the Scottish diaspora and just how far the connections to St Kilda stretch - its legend is now conquering other worlds.

"If Prof Kah was interested in taking the, galactically speaking, short trip across the Atlantic to visit St Kilda, we'd be thrilled to show her all that the archipelago still has to offer."

Nasa's rover, Curiosity, has been exploring the Scottish-named geology as part of its mission on Mars.

Nasa has set itself a goal of sending humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s.