Kellie's Castle

A grand mansion with a 6-storey tower,wine cellar,stately columns. Moorish arches and walls embellished with Greco-Roman designs. There was to be a rooftop courtyard for parties and even an elevator, the first of its kind in the country.

But the buildingnwas never to be completed. Work halted in December 1926 with the sudden demise of its owner, William Kellie-Smith. The estate on which it was situated was sold and the unfinished mansion soon surrendered itself once to the jungle.
Today, the rediscovered mansion, popularly known as Kellie's Castle, still stands,having survived the ravages of time, it reflects the pioneering spirits of the early colonialists and the romanticism of a bygone era. Who was Smith and what prompted him to construct this palatial building?



Born in Dallas, North-Eastern Scotland to a farmer and his wife on March 1, 1870, William Kellie Smith traveled to Malaysia, at the tender age of 20 to seek his fortune.
Kellie was his mother's name. Smith was engaged by an estate owner named Alma Baker to help in the construction of public roads in South Perak, With his share of the profits from the venture, he bought 960 acres of jungle land in the Kinta District, and cleared it to plant rubber.
He later named the estate Kinta Kellas, after his home farm, Kinta Kellas, in 1909, Smith built his first mansion, Kellas House-a symbol of his prospering rubber estate venture, 5 years later, with a birth of a son and heir, Smith that proved to be his ultimate follie.

Kellie's Castle was to surpass his estate bungalow. 70 tought workers, mostly from Madras were employed. The bricks and marber were imported from India. But during the construction, tragedy struck. A mysterious illness broke out, killing many of Smith's workers. The superstitious Smith was told that a temple must be built to appease the gods. He immediately transferred his workers to build a Hindu temple nearby.

Works resumed after the temple was completed but the castle was never to be realized. Tragedy struck again.

On a visit to Lisbon, at the age of 56,, Smith died of pneumonia. His wife, Agnes sold the estate, and with passing of time, and the end of colonial rule, the castle soon faded into memory.

Located on a ridge beside a meandering river near the town of Batu Gajah, Kellie's Castle is easily spotted from the Batu Gajah-Jalan Gopeng. Etched againts the blue sky, much of the structure is still intact. Over the years, the sturdy castle appears to have waged battle againt the undergrowth. Althought once creepers sprout from its exterior and gnarled tree roots fill the compound, the interior is undamaged. Only the spiders and insects make home of the empty room.

Despite signs of decay, the castle exudes a certain air of dignity and grangeur. Moving fron room to room, one can imagine the rich furnishings that would have filled the stately structure, had it been completed. As we wander around the castle, there is a eerie feeling of being watched. Sunlight streams through a series of arches on the two main floors, casting ghostly shadows on the verandah running the length of the building.

Perhaps, there is some truth to the local legend that the spirits of Old Man Kellie still wanders along the corridors......

Managed by: AQFAST ENTERPRISE TEL: 605-3651336.

Email: aqfast_kelliescastle@yahoo.com

(Photos by kikikatkat)