Kellie's Castle -- My Next Trip ^_^

For many years, Kellies Castle has been shrouded in mystery. Today it's nicely restored and easy to reach from Ipoh.

Kellie's Castle is located in Batuh Gajah. The castle is not as famous as the Taj Mahal in Agra, India but there are some similarities, both in architecture as in the story of its building.  Many know the love story attached to the Taj Mahal. But how many of you know the story of a Scottish man named William Kellie Smith and his beloved wife Agnes?

Kellies Castle is symbol of love, like the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. And in the architecture, there is definitely some moghul influence visible. 

Kellie's Castle was built by a Scottish planter called William Kellie Smith. He built the castle for his wife. Smith himself was from a little town in Scotland: Kellas. He built the castle for the same reason as Shah Jahan a few centuries earlier the Taj Mahal: Love

In 1890, a young Smith left his home farm in Kellas for Malaya. It is not known why he ventured to Malaya for career opportunities much less when he actually arrived. However, he integrated in to the community with ease. He bounced around several business opportunities finding some success but it wasn't until he met Alma Baker that he struck gold. Baker obtained several government projects to built roads in South Perak. Their partnership in these projects led to quite a bit of profits. Enough to purchase a 900 acre piece of land for his rubber tree plantation and homely estate named Kinta Kellas in Batu Gajah.

Smith made some substantial profits with his business with Baker. This resulted in Smith planting rubber trees. He also was involved in the tin mining industry, which at that time was at it's highpoint in Perak. In time, he became the owner of Kinta Kellas Estate and the Kinta Kellas Tin Dredging Company, near Ipoh.

Through various business ventures, Smith's wealth grew. In 1903, he returned to Scotland to marry his sweetheart Agnes. He brought her back to his home in Malaysia and later that year the couple was blessed with a daughter named Helen. He loved his daughter but wanted a son, an heir to his empire. Poor Agnes found it hard to conceive a second child. It was another eleven years before she became pregnant again.

Smith wanted a son too, but Agnes failed to conceive. Smith wanted his heir to take over his empire in Malaya. It was not until 1915 before Agnes became pregnant again. She gave birth to a son: Anthony. The birth of his son was the start of an even greater success. 

Anthony's birth was the start of the expansion of the mansion. Smith started planning to build a castle which he wanted to call Kellas House, after his hometown in Scotland. 

Smith was fascinated by the Hindu culture. His plans were to build his house with similar architecture features as in south India, Madras. For the building he imported bricks and tiles from India. He even employed even Indian workers to keep his house Indian.

The costs of material, brought from India and the Indian workers made the house fascinating for locals and foreigners. But there were other intriguing things on the house. Smith wanted to have am elevator. The first elevator in Malaysia is located in Kellie's Castle. It travels from the roof down to the underground tunnels. He also planned to build an indoor tennis court. The rooftop was reserved for a courtyard for parties. World War I slowed the process even more. In the end, Kellie's Castle was never completed.

The elevator connects the very top roof of the house with two underground tunnels that run under the river just outside the house. One of these tunnels connects to the Hindu temple nearby.

On the second floor, Smith planned to build a indoor tennis court. Even by today's standards it was an ambitious project. The rooftop was reserved for a courtyard for parties. It was to become to the hub for colonial planters who have settled in Malaya. His house was so unique, that the London Financier Newspaper mentioned it in it's issue of 15 September 1911.

 No good fortune

Soon after Smith started the construction of the house, some tragedies started to happen. First it was the "Spanish flu" which killed many workers in the Kellas Estate. The flu had easily spread from Europe to Asia. Soon another 70 workers became victim of the flu.

Smith had spent already a fortune in his new house but now he lost even more money because of this. The First World War slowed the process of building. The result was that Kellas House was never completed.

 

Smith went for a short trip to Portugal in 1926. He died there of pneumonia. His wife was still in Malaya, heartbroken. She decided to pack and return to Scotland. She sold Kellie's Castle to a British company called Harrisons and Crossfield.

Kellies Castle was never to be finished. It became a ruined with many legends. Legend of the ghost of Smith wandering through the ruins. Other legends were off secret underground tunnels. But apart of the two known tunnels, none were ever found.

However, after over eighty years, the Malaysian government refurbished the house in 2000. It had been a tourist attraction but now it became an even bigger attraction and easy accessible.  It was even used as a setting in the 1999 film Anna and the King. A company manages the property as a tourist attraction now. Some believe it is haunted by the family it was built for.

William's spirit has been seen pacing at night in the 2nd floor corridor. Helen wearing a white blouse and curly hair haunts her old bedroom. Phantom smells of incense and spirits have been reported in the horse stables. Adding to its mystery, some believe the mansion possesses hidden rooms and secret underground tunnels.

INTERESTING RIGHT???? AND SO MYSTERIOUS!!!

HAVE FIXED A DATE VISITING THERE!!! ;)))

HI, KELLIE'S CASTLE~~ IM COMING SOON ^_^