Kellie's Castle, Batu Gajah

I've been there. What's so special about it? It's rich building material and it's wondrous architecture. Oh, and its history too, of cos!

My family and I stumbled by accident from a trip home from Ipoh (Perak). We went to Ipoh from our family day at Lost World of Tambun and on our way back, took a wrong turning that lead us through the more scenic coastal roads instead of to the PLUS North-South Highway...

Kellie's Castle, Batu Gajah (Perak) is built on a low hill. There's a river separating the Castle from the main roads and there was a bridge that needs to be crossed before hiking up (there's a man made footpath) the low hill to reach the Castle grounds.

Entrance fee is RM4 per adult. There are special rates for students and children but I couldn't be bothered to take note of those as I wasn't eligible for those special rates.

Kellie's Castle belongs to William Kellie Smith, one of Malaya's (before Malaysia declared Independence, the country's called Malaya) earlier settler, is an extension to his bungalow called "Kellas House". The Castle is built using bricks and well-planned ventilation while his bungalow was just a big yellow house (lying in ruins now from the WWII) with no known ventilation.

It is believed that the Castle was built because Kellie's wife, Agnes, claimed that Kellas House was way too hot to live in during the afternoons, hence the "Love Castle Project".

Kellie's Castle was never finished because Kellie died before his "Project" could be completed.

There were to be a bucket elevator (the first of it's kind in Malaya), a rooftop party/entertainment area and also a tennis court. Because the Castle was never completed up to those stage, the elevator shaft looks like a "drop and you will die" square hole (as it runs up to six storeys high) and the party/entertainment area coupled with the tennis court looks like a helipad.

Kellie and Agnes had two kids, Helen and Anthony. Their rooms in the Castle is located next to the Master Bedroom and there's an "emergency exit stairway" in Helen's room.

While I was there, there were two Guest Rooms, a Wine Cellar, a Dining Room, an Alter Room, a Living Room and an Entertainment Room. There are numerous stairways, one main one which was real wide and several spiral ones that were very narrow.

Outside of the Castle, a Horse Stable was seen. There were two stalls for Kellie's horses.

Because of the Castle's building, I think "Kellas House" was turned into the servants quarter. The Kitchen, the Rooms and the Worker's Medical Rooms were all spotted in "Kellas House".

There was a Tunnel in between "Kellas House" and "Kellie's Castle". It looks like a well due to its round shape. This tunnel leads to an Indian Temple some 500 meters from the Castle but the Government people closed it down for security reasons.

It is rumored that Kellie's Castle is haunted because of all these tragedies (numerous of his workers died from what was believed to be the Yellow Fever Epidemic) while constructing the Castle as well as the untimely death of Kellie.

Some says that the "Mysterious Corridors" (the corridors of the Castle on the Ground Floor where all the Main Rooms are and the First Floor where all the family member's Bedrooms are) is still walked by the spirit of William Kellie. Some visitors have claimed that they feel "watched" when they stand on the grounds of the Castle. Some says they've seen "shadows and flashes" from the Spirit World while they were there.

I did not encounter such things. Maybe it was because I was as happy as a bunny in spring time when I was there, witnessing and experiencing the rich history of my country. Or maybe it was because I'm so wrapped up in exploring the Castle that I failed to notice these rumored paranormal stuff...

Either way, Kellie's Castle is a must see for every historical building enthusiasts. It's pretty out of the way but it's worth the trip.

(p.s. No one knows for sure what happened to Agnes and the kids after Kellie's death but it's believed that Agnes sold the Castle to someone after her husband passed on and returned to Scotland)

>>Here i show u guys some of my pictures at Kellie's Castle

(At the "Mysterious Corridors")




(On the top of kellie's castle r0of - haha my brother was scared...)