I went to Ipoh yesterday again. This time we went to Kellies Castle after lunch at Ipoh.
Introduction : Kellie's Castle (sometimes also called Kellie's Folly) is located near Batu Gajah, and is about 20 minutes drive from Ipoh, Perak.(Be prepared along the road there are lots of traffic light). The unfinished, ruined mansion, was built by a Scottish planter named William Kellie Smith. According to differing accounts, it was either a gift for his wife or a home for his son.
History :William Kellie Smith was from a village in Scotland known as Kellas. In 1890, at the age of 20, he arrived in the then undeveloped Malaya. Here, he met an estate owner called Alma Baker, who had won concessions from the state government to clear 360 hectares of forests in Perak. With the substantial profits made from his business venture with Alma Baker, Smith started planting rubber trees and dabbled in the tin mining industry. In time, he became the owner of Kinta Kellas Estate and the Kinta Kellas Tin Dredging Company.
Kellie's Castle was to surpass his estate bungalow. Seventy tough workers, mostly from Madras, were employed and bricks and marble 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.Work resumed after the temple was completed but the castle was never to be realised. 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 the passing of time, and the end of colonial rule, the castle soon faded into memory.
Over the years, the sturdy castle appears to have waged battle against the undergrowth. Although 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 rooms.
Despite signs of decay, the castle exudes a certain air of dignity and grandeur. Moving from 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 spirit of Old Man Kellie still wanders along the corridors...
Operating Hours:
Monday - Sunday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Admission Fee:
Adult : RM4.00 (MALAYSIAN),RM5.00 (FOREIGNER)
History :William Kellie Smith was from a village in Scotland known as Kellas. In 1890, at the age of 20, he arrived in the then undeveloped Malaya. Here, he met an estate owner called Alma Baker, who had won concessions from the state government to clear 360 hectares of forests in Perak. With the substantial profits made from his business venture with Alma Baker, Smith started planting rubber trees and dabbled in the tin mining industry. In time, he became the owner of Kinta Kellas Estate and the Kinta Kellas Tin Dredging Company.
Kellie's Castle was to surpass his estate bungalow. Seventy tough workers, mostly from Madras, were employed and bricks and marble 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.Work resumed after the temple was completed but the castle was never to be realised. 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 the passing of time, and the end of colonial rule, the castle soon faded into memory.
Over the years, the sturdy castle appears to have waged battle against the undergrowth. Although 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 rooms.
Despite signs of decay, the castle exudes a certain air of dignity and grandeur. Moving from 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 spirit of Old Man Kellie still wanders along the corridors...
Operating Hours:
Monday - Sunday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Admission Fee:
Adult : RM4.00 (MALAYSIAN),RM5.00 (FOREIGNER)
