William Kellie Smith was an interesting man who was popular with his South Indian workers. Kind at heart, he erected a Hindu shrine for his workers on the castle premises. As a token of appreciation, his workers erected a statue of Kellie complete with a white suit and hat.

Construction of this unique castle began in 1915. However, it came to an abrupt halt with Kellie’s sudden death in 1926. The solitary castle, looks almost surreal in these wild plantations of Perak, it projects a strong personality and an aura of mystery.

Recently, efforts have been made by the Perak State Government to rescue this magnificent structure from the encroaching foliage. Besides being haunted, the castle is believed to have hidden rooms and secret underground tunnels.

The road that leads to Kellie’s Castle follows the contours of the land in a dizzying, maze-like fashion, adding to the mystery and romance of the place.

Kellie's Castle Perak

Covering some 21,000 sq. km., Perak lies between Kedah in the north and Selangor to the south. The Main Range mountains cut across the state of Perak, standing in dramatic juxtaposition to the flat, steaming plains of the western coastline.

Often referred to as ‘The Land of Grace’ for its laid-back, timeless beauty, Perak is divided into nine districts.

Each district has its own characteristic beauty and history, and tourist attractions that include old-style Anglo-Malay and Chinese mansions, colonial buildings, ancient limestone caves, temples and cool hill stations such as the Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill) station.

Perak’s capital, Ipoh is a slow-moving, quiet town full of quaint old bungalows and is famed for its simple yet excellent hawker food. The hawker fare here has such an excellent reputation that it is not unusual for Malaysians from other towns to drive for up to three hours just for a bowl of delicious noodles!

Perak has a western coastline facing the Straits of Melaka and not far off its coast are a number of islands. The nearest is Pangkor Island, off the coastal town of Lumut. Pangkor’s unique island lifestyle offers visitors a variety of experiences and some outstanding beaches. And wait until you taste the cheap, fresh and delicious seafood here!