The Haunting Beauty of Kellie’s Castle: A Scottish Legacy in Malaysia

Explore the history of Kellie's Castle in Perak, Malaysia. Built by a Scottish planter, this unfinished mansion blends unique architecture with a tragic past of war rumors and cinematic fame.

A Tragic History of Rumors

Along with its tragic starts, the castle and its premises were rumoured to have been used as an abuse and implementation website by the Imperial Japanese army throughout World War II. It was additionally throughout WWII that Anthony, the child for whose impending birth the mansion had actually been constructed, was eliminated, even more including in the jinxed photo of the estate.

In 1926, while in Lisbon to ultimately schedule shipment of the manor’s elevator, he acquired pneumonia and died. His partner Agnes determined to relocate the household back to Scotland, selling the castle, estate and plantations to a British firm that had no interest in finishing the mansion, abandoning Kellie’s Castle to the elbowing in forest.

The Grand Vision of Perak

Found atop a little hill in the beautiful Perak countryside, Kellie’s Castle is an incomplete estate initially meant to be the new home for the growing family of a wealthy Scottish rubber ranch proprietor, William Kellie-Smith.

The entry charge to the mansion for foreign travelers is RM10 for grownups and RM8 for youngsters. For Malaysians, adult admission is RM5 and RM3 for youngsters. Opening hours are 9:30 am– 10:00 pm, with last access at 9:30 pm.

When the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918 eliminated many of the employees, Progression was badly obstructed. Kellie-Smith’s fortunes began to dwindle, as poor investments cost him financially and his health began to suffer.

Architectural Blend of Cultures

Blocks, marble and 70 experienced artisans were brought in from Chennai, India to fulfill the extremely uncommon style, which included Moorish, Indo-Saracenic, and Romanesque attributes. The interior was made with 14 rooms across 6 floorings, secret passageways, and a lift shaft, of what would have been Malaysia’s very first lift.

The Kellie-Smith household initially stayed at the smaller sized Kellas Home, which currently lies in mess up behind the castle, ruined during World War II. In 1915, in advance of the birth of his son, Kellie-Smith commissioned a bigger mansion to be constructed.

The mess up of Kellas Residence in its darkness, in addition to the lots of narrow stairs, passageways and dark corners give the manor an eerie, yet bewitching mood. While it is unfinished, it is tough not to be excited by the enthusiastic design, and to question just exactly how grand a completed Kellie’s Castle can have been.

Modern Fame and Visitor Information

Several years later on, Kellie’s Castle was turned into a traveler destination and concerned importance in 1999, as one of the settings for the Oscar-nominated movie ‘Anna and the King’, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-fat.

The entryway cost to the estate for international travelers is RM10 for adults and RM8 for youngsters. For Malaysians, grown-up admission is RM5 and RM3 for children. Opening hours are 9:30 am– 10:00 pm, with last entrance at 9:30 pm.