✍️ 9 Oct 2025. Finally visited Kellie's Castle π
I first heard about Kellie's Castle when it made the news in 2000, when the Malaysian government decided to restore and repurpose the long abandoned property into a tourist attraction.
Just a short detour off the North-South Expressway, west along Jalan Gopeng. Passed here a few times on the NSE but my mind was always fixated on my planned destination.
I have to thank Tourism Malaysia that I finally get to visit Kellie's Castle.
I was part of the overseas media covering Global Travel Meet 2025 held in Kuala Lumpur. After the successful event, which generated RM420 million for the Malaysian economy, we were hosted to familiarisation visits to Malaysia's attractions. Kellie's Castle was one of the selected attractions.
I am so glad that I finally made it and would recommend this unique place for everyone. I will not pass Gopeng without stopping at Kellie's Castle again π
Sungai Terap river passes in front of Kellie's Castle.
We had to cross a small bridge to get across Sungai Terap river to Kellie's Castle.
Construction of Kellie's Castle began after 1915 by Scottish tin miner and rubber planter William Kellie-Smith. William contracted pneumonia and passed on in Lisbon, Portugal in 1926, while procuring lifts for Kellie's Castle. His widow Agnes and children (Helen & Anthony) returned to Scotland soon afterwards (1927). Kellie's Castle was thus abandoned and never completed.
It remained in dilapidated state for decades until it was restored by the Malaysian government in the 2000s.
This familiar facade of Kellie's Castle is actually the rear of the building π€
There are actually two major buildings in the complex.
The smaller Kellas House was William's family home built in 1910.
The larger Kellie's Castle began construction after 1915, after the birth of William's second born, a son Anthony.
You will see Kellas House when you walk up to Kellie's Castle (won't be able to see it from the visitor centre).
The front facade of Kellie's Castle which you will not see unless you come up to the building. It would have four storeys and fourteen rooms, if it was completed.
Kellas House seen from the ground floor veranda of Kellie's Castle.
The facade of Kellas House today (2025), family home of the Kellie-Smith family.
The airy veranda on the ground floor of Kellie's Castle.
The red clay bricks were imported from India and the mortar holding everything together was a mixture of duck egg whites, sand, chalk, sugar and honey.
If there was any doubt about the strength of this concoction, Kellie's Castle withstood some Japanese bombardment during the Second World War (1939 - 1945).
Eh!? This is where? Hong Kong movie η₯ε·ζ¬‘δΈδ»£ Skyline Cruisers starring Leon Lai and Shu Qi (released 2000) was shot at Kellie's Castle.
Veranda on the upper floor.
Can you guess where this scene from Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fatt (released 1999) was shot?
That's dashing Chow Yun Fatt, dashing to hug Jodie Foster. So romantic π€
π± Oops maybe not π¬
Sorry, mistaken feelings 葨ιζ
π€
They have a couple of room mockups of what could have been. In fact, no one ever lived in Kellie's Castle as it was never completed.
Kellie's Castle was designed in the Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture style popular with British architects in British India during the Victorian era (1837 - 1901). The style amalgamates Indian traditional architecture with Indo-Islamic, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Classical styles.
The style of Kellie's Castle reminds me of its contemporary, the majestic Malayan Railway Administration Office in Kuala Lumpur built in 1917 which, of course, is at a much grander scale.
The lift tower takes people up to the rooftop courtyard. It was during his trip to Lisbon, Portugal to purchase a lift for Kellie's Castle that William Kellie-Smith met his untimely demise in 1926 (at age 56).
The empty lift shaft, barricaded for safety. Kellie's Castle could have been Malaysia's very first lift but it never came to past.
From the breezy rooftop courtyard, we can get the stunning 360° view of the Kinta Valley.
The tourism authorities added some activities to widen Kellie's Castle's appeal, especially for families, schools and incentive travel groups.
There's horse riding.
Archery.
Don't play, play. Jossie already got the arrow on the bullseye with her first shot.
Buggy fun ride around the estate.
Kellie's Castle is surrounded with many interesting, mysterious, even spooky tidbits.
Kellie's Castle has a huge wine cellar in the basement. That's fascinating enough on its own, but there are rumours that it has a tunnel that leads from here to an Indian temple.
In 1918, during its construction, the 70 Indian artisans from Madras (today's Chennai) working on Kellie's Castle were hit with deadly Spanish Flu. The artisans requested William's blessings to build a temple nearby for divine protection from the deadly virus.
William obliged and Sri Maha Mariamman Temple was founded (in 1918). In William's honour, the temple is often referred to as Kellie's Temple and his image still stands at the temple to this day.
Kellie's Temple is a short walk west from Kellie's Castle. A visit to the Indian temple will complete your tour of Kellie's Castle.
So, is it worth our time to get off from the North South Expressway and spend a while at Kellie's Castle?
For sure it is. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking, the place is historic and full of stories, it is filled with photo spots to capture your memories of not only Kellie's Castle but also your trip to Ipoh, Perak state and Malaysia.
Address: Lot 48436, Kompleks Pelancongan Kellie's Castle, KM 5.5, Jalan Gopeng, 31000 Batu Gajah, Perak, Malaysia
Tel: +6010 505 4817
Hours: 9:30am - 10pm
A small entrance fee is levied
Written by Tony Boey on 9 Oct 2025
Who is Tony Johor Kaki?
Some people are convinced that the ghost of William Kellie-Smith haunts his uncompleted castle. You come and visit at night lo, Kellie's Castle is open until 10pm everyday
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