IT HAS shone out across the Firth of Clyde for more than 130 years as well as becoming one of the most iconic lighthouses in the world. But the 19th-century Turnberry Lighthouse – known to golf fans across the globe because of its location on the world-famous Ailsa golf links – is finally to be switched off and the building sold as part of an efficiency drive.

The whitewashed structure has been deemed to be of “limited value” to 21st-century mariners and is to be disposed of by the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB). Hailed as “probably the most famous lighthouse in the world,” property experts believe it will fetch a considerable sum for conversion into holiday accommodation for wealthy golfers.