Along the remote road of Batu Gajah-Ipoh, one may catch a brief glimpse of an incomplete mansion, so unique and mystifying, that for years it has enjoyed a reputation of enigma and mystery. Standing on a high ridge against a setting of dense rubber plantation, it is a strange sight to behold, entirely unexpected by passer-by who lucky enough to notice the building between the green backgrounds that engulfed it. The locals called it “Rumah Hantu” or Haunted House due to numerous of ghostly tales that it was rumored to hold but to history buffs and travel enthusiasts alike, the odd-looking edifice is fondly nick-named Kellie’s Castle, a remnant of past glory of colonial era. This month, join Kembara Bersama PLUS as we try to unravel the past and mysteries behind this century old mansion.

Resting on an edge, with its front slope falling steeply away to a river which borders the entrance road, this unusual rectangle mansion and its stately columns has captured the imagination of many. Its apricot brick walls with patches of white stucco are embellished with Greco-Roman designs while variety of Moorish arches adorned the building, each decorated with different small human-face gargoyles that seem to form a replica of the family that is was built for. Rooted by its square tower and semi-circular bastion, Kellie’s Castle is startling enough to give a sense of displacement, a shift in time and geography.

Kellie’s Castle is a grand six-storey high mansion with three stories built purposely underground, equipped with wine cellar, rooftop courtyard and even planned to be fitted with an electric elevator, the first of its kind in the country. It is actually a complex mansion of two separate buildings set to run parallel with each other, one a smaller scale house of brick and wood while the other, a more noticeably uncompleted frontage structure of impressive form that had made the mansion so articulately remembered by all who have seen it.

Our journey to Kellie’s Castle took us on a drive north to Ipoh, Perak along the North-South Expressway (NSE). Exiting at the Simpang Pulai Interchange (exit 137), we took the Gopeng trunk road (Route 1) south a few kilometers before exiting at the junction towards Batu Gajah town Directional signages specifically to the mansion are well provided along the way thus making our journey there relentlessly easy. A further half an hour drive along the state road (A8) finally took us to the mansion, located just off the route, visibly in all its majesty.

Kellie’s Castle has long been subjected to historical inaccuracies. From time to time, description of the mansion appeared in articles of local interest and travel literature, each depicted a different view of the mystery mansion. It was not until a discovery was made by Tan Sri Datuk Mubin Shepperd, former director of the national museum that at last shed the some lights on the building and the man who built it. Although a few aspect of the history is still puzzling and some questions still and probably will forever remain unanswered, some significant facts are finally known.

Kellie’s Castle was built on an estate owned by William Kellie Smith, a Scottish rubber tycoon who once owned a company that even exists today. Born in Moray Firth, Scotland on March 1, 1870, William Kellie Smith traveled to the Malaya to seek his fame and fortune at a tender age of 20. Smith was engaged to help on the construction of public roads in South Perak by Alma Baker, a pioneer and rubber planter who obtained a number of government contracts and they formed a business partnership to much success. With the substantial share of the profit he gained from his first venture, Smith bought 1000 acres of forest south of Ipoh and cleared it into a rubber plantation, which he named Kinta Kellas, in commemoration of his homefarm in Scotland, Easter Kellas.

In 1909, Smith built his first mansion, the Kellas House, a symbol of success for his fledgling rubber venture. Atop of a ridge within his estate which eventually will be the site of the now famous Kellie’s Castle, his first house was surrounded with landscaped gardens, beautiful lawns and even a lake. Impressive and imposing, the house was built magnificently, both surpassing in grandness and beauty even of the British Residency in Taiping. However, five years later with the birth of his son and heir, something seems insufficient for Smith thus inspiring him to build another extension at a far greater scale, in close proximity of his first abode. This new family wing which begins its construction in 1915 was planned to be the social hub of the wealthy colonial planters around the area and when completed will surpass the grandeur of his current mansion by many folds. Although what really stimulated him to build the additional accommodation was never known, it was said that the new building was built dedicatedly for his wife, in respect of their ever lasting love. This in time gives the mansion a feeling of romantic folly, a tale equivalent to the Taj Mahal in India.

Seventy labourers from Madras were employed and tons of bricks and marbles were imported from India. It took a period of almost ten years to build the wing yet during the early 1920s, a bad epidemic of 'Spanish flu' broke out, killing many of Smith’s workers including masons and plasterers he specially brought from Madras. Believing it was an act of their gods, Smith’s worker refused to continue on. To alleviate their fear, Smith transferred all his work force to the construction of a rustic Hindu temple nearby and once the work on this temple was completed, he moved back his workers to continue his dream mansion. It was still unfinished when Kellie Smith left for a family trip to England in 1926 and it will remain unfinished soon afterwards. The mansion was never completed due to the sudden death of William Kellie Smith in December 1926 after he succumbed to pneumonia during his trip to Lisbon, Portugal. Overcome with grief, his widow, Agnes Smith sold the estate and remained in England. The work on “Kellie’s Castle” halted and with the passing time, and the end of the colonial rule, its remnants gave in to slow decay and the surrounding jungle.

Little remains of the first house he built a century ago. Approaching the site today, one could only see the remaining walls and stairwell of the Kellas House which stand in ruins, plagued by undergrowths and saved only by the roots that held it together. However, the unfinished mansion wing still endures the test of time, standing solemnly to greet all who wish to visit. Climbing the staircase to the roof top, the eerie feeling of abandonment will soon be replaced by wonder and of one will be amazed with the sheer grandness of William Kellie Smith’s vision, an architectural advancement that well beyond its time. The six-storey high mansion wing was made entirely of concrete, its sweeping corridors with 14 large size rooms, maze of complex stairwells, and underground wine cellars with rows of white marble slabs, each contributed to the enigmatic presence of this unfinished mansion. Beneath the cellars, there were two more underground levels that were purposely built to withstand heavy bombing but the entrances to this bunkers were sealed off due to safety reasons. It was believed that from here, one could reach a maze of underground passages underneath the mansion. It was rumored that these passages could connect to strategic areas as far as to Ipoh town, built to the purpose unknown to all except the man who constructed it himself.

Recent state government efforts had promoted the place into a tourist destination. However, due to leasing the site to a private party to run, its management seems more into money-making rather than capably able to maintain a historical site. Although the entrance fees are acceptable, there is no available tour guides and you have to part with extra cash just for an information brochure. We are fortuned enough that a freelance artist, Mr. Jeffery are wiling to guide and brief us around but try to imagine other visitor who wander aimlessly without ever knowing what they see. Apart from a few worn down description and a message board of newspaper clippings, there is next to nothing on information regarding the mansion. Added amenities such as public toilets and parking spaces are available and welcomed but a few inappropriate additions have also been included such as a bird park and ostrich farm at the mansion vicinity and have somehow marred the originality and historical value of this place.

Kellie’s Castle is unique in encapsulating a moment in time, a marvel of a bygone era. Many have come to visit the place to catch a glimpse of this colonial architectural wonder and some even came in hope to discover one of the hidden underground passages under the mansion which believed to hold a substantial amount of William Kellie’s Smith riches. Whatever the reason, do stop by at this old-world mansion the next time you are around the area. Who knows, you might get a chance to meet Old Man Kellie himself whose restless ghost is said to wander the corridors of this lonely mansion.

Journey Facts:
Exit Toll Plaza (NSE): Simpang Pulai /Gopeng
From Ipoh: 30 kilometer
From Batu Gajah: 18 kilometers

Location Facts:
Kellie’s Castle
31000, Batu Gajah
Perak. Malaysia

Contact Info :
K Castle Sdn Bhd
PO Box 11. 31000
Batu Gajah Perak.
Malaysia 

Telefax: 05-37668198

Admission fee: RM5.00 for Adult and RM2.00 for children

Open: Daily from 8.30 am to 7.00 pm

Kembara Bersama PLUS would like to thank Mr Jeffery the resident artist of Kellie's Castle for the cooperation and assistance given.