US government puts lighthouse up for sale

The US federal government is auctioning a lighthouse -with a 10,000 US dollar bid currently leading.

The Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse is a 72-foot conical light tower a mile off Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Potential buyers should be warned that the property has a million-dollar view, but the quarters are cramped, the grounds are nothing to brag about and a loud fog horn blares every 10 seconds.

The property is hard to get to, located on a wave-swept rocky ledge.

But the views are magnificent, and the lighthouse oozes history - a reminder of an era gone by when lighthouse keepers lived in isolation manning kerosene lamps and foghorns to keep mariners safe.

A tour for prospective bidders is scheduled for later this month.