Kellie's Castle

Kellie's Castle, also known as Kellie's Folly, is 20 minutes outside of Ipoh. This unfinished South-Indian style Gothic mansion was started by an eccentric Scottish planter named William Kellie Smith. Built in 1915, Smith decided to commemorate the birth of his longed for son and heir by building a castle. Smith brought over many Indian workers to complete his architectural dream, which was to include an indoor tennis court, an elevator and a rooftop courtyard for parties. It also included a tunnel to a nearby Hindu temple, reflecting Smith's fascination with Hinduism. This feature gave rise to local folktales of hidden passages and secret rooms. About 1.5km away, the descendants of those Indian workers still live in the area, and maintain a temple which also includes a statue of Smith.

However, after World War I, the Spanish flu decimated most of his workers, and Smith himself died of pneumonia, leaving his castle unfinished and his fortunes exhausted. The castle was sold by his grieving widow to a local company which now manages it as a tourist destination.