The fate of a historic Troon school is in the balance because the council says it is becoming too expensive to maintain its listed building. 

Marr College was gifted to the town by coal merchant Charles Kerr Marr in the 1920s and has become a landmark in the town.

But now South Ayrshire Council says its main listed building is too costly to maintain. The council has provoked anger by suggesting it should be replaced with a new-build.

Headteacher Paul Deacon said: "The nub of the problem is that we have a building that is not fit for 21st century education. I as a headteacher want to provide an education for the 21st century and that would either mean looking at this building and a refurbishment or perhaps moving to a new build on an adjacent site."

But the proposed site is the school's sports fields and former pupils and locals have launched a campaign criticising the council on social networking sites.

Keith Dunsmuir, former pupil and campaigner, said: "It's the whole package that the college can provide. It's the feeling of history that the feeling of history, the pride in the school. There is ample space on the current site without having to go anywhere else. There's lots of space around the side and back and the site could be made fit for purpose."

Topped by a distinctive copper dome, the college has become a famous landmark in Troon. The listed building is owned by the Marr trust but leased to the local authority which undertakes to maintain its fabric.

Education Secretary Mike Russell was once barred from the school because of his criticism of the council's upkeep, but in his current post he is more measured.

Mr Russell said: "There has been a lot of problems in terms of maintenance over the years. I think now it is up to the community to tell councillors what they want and I would encourage every single person in Troon and every single person involved in that. As education secretary I have to stand back but I'll be very interested to see what they say."