A tiny island with a dilapidated lighthouse on it has sold for £89,000.
Skalmen is the farthest-flung islet in the archipelago it belongs to.
To get there from the nearest town and airport, it takes two hours and two ferries before a 4-mile boat trip.
Between May and late July each year, it becomes a protected bird reserve that’s off-limits to visitors.
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Its main structure is a lighthouse.
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But the mini island, part of Norway, was subject to a bidding war.
It went on the market for £36,000, but sold for almost two-and-a-half times the guide price.
It sits at the northern tip of the Western Norway region, west of Trondheim.
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Its buyers were Andreas Bjarøy and his wife, Mona Kruse Bjarøy.
Andreas, from Tønsberg, south of Oslo, co-owns a firm that buys and sells property.
Mona’s family comes from Brattværet, which is a stone’s throw from the islet.
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Andreas told local media: “We’ve spent a lot of holidays there over the years, love the area, and have fished a lot around Skalmen.
“So, this became very interesting for us.
“We deal a lot with property in our job and like projects.
“It’s not every day you get to buy a lighthouse.
“We thought it would be cool to restore it to make it as good as it should be.
“And then we can spend more time in the area with our own place.”
Skalmen first received five bids, but only two parties fought it out till the bitter end.
Andreas and Mona plan to “completely refurbish the building”.
But they know they’ll have to shed more cash in the process.
Andreas said: “We need to have a dialogue with the municipality and others, but the goal is for it to be in tip-top condition.
“It’s not free, that’s for sure.”
Skalmen lighthouse was built in 1907.
Its first keeper was Anton Lund, who went on an expedition with the famous explorer Roald Amundsen.
It’s rumoured that his dog’s footprint can still be seen on the islet.
The lighthouse hasn’t been manned for over 20 years.
The authorities had decided to tear it down before a backlash from locals made them try to sell it first.
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