An Overview of the Northern Lands of Tamriel
Welcome to a massive guide to every location across the realm of Skyrim. Since ancient times, the lands of Skyrim have been divided into nine separate Holds, and modern cartographers saw no reason to change this method of dividing the realm into manageable segments for you to reference. Although Holds aren’t visible on your in-game maps, the borders between each Hold have been drawn along roads, rivers, and steep mountains so you can visualize where you are more easily.
Overview and Legend
This Atlas is divided into 13 sections. The first nine reveal each of the Holds of Skyrim (Haafingar, Hjaalmarch, The Pale, Winterhold Hold, The Reach, Whiterun Hold, Eastmarch, Falkreath Hold, and The Rhift) running from northwest to southeast. Section 10 is dedicated to Other Realms of Skyrim (locations not shown on the World Map, such as the Dragon Cult’s bastion of Skuldafn). Sections 11 and 12 show the two parts of the isle of Solstheim (the Northern Mountains and Southern Ash Lands), and the last section is devoted to the Realm of Hermaeus Mora; Apocrypha.
In each chapter, locations are divided into Primary Locations (which appear as Fast-Travel points on the world map once you locate them) and Secondary Locations (some of which appear on your local map). For larger dungeons and settlements, interior maps have been provided. These help you explore major locations and flag important items. The following icons are used:
Primary Locations: These are usually large spaces requiring interior exploration and are listed in a number format. For example, the vampire hideout known as Movarth’s Lair is listed as Primary Location [2.19]. This means it is in Hold 2 (Hjaalmarch) and is the 19th Primary Location within this Hold. Each Primary Location has a different icon depending on its type (e.g., a den, town, or capital).
Secondary Locations: These are smaller areas that rarely require interior exploration. They are listed in a letter format. For example, the Shrine of Zenithar in the Rift is listed as Secondary Location [9.U].
Secondary Locations with a darker coloration are Dragon Mounds.
World Encounter: This icon indicates the possibility of a random World Encounter.
Map Marker (Interior Maps): This shows the general area to search for one or more important items (with a corresponding number to the text description), or a major room or route in an interior map.
Threshold Marker (Interior Maps): This indicates a door (with a letter corresponding to the text description). If this is linked via a line, it shows a connection between two levels or floors of a structure or dungeon.
Area Statistics
Every location in Skyrim has a list of pertinent information to better inform you about what to expect within the settlement or dungeon. The following chart explains what all these statistics mean:
| Statistic | Description |
|---|---|
| Related Quests | Whether this location is visited during a Quest. Due to the random nature of many Radiant Quests, Side Quests, and Favors, only Quests that specifically direct you to a location are listed. |
| Recommended Level | This is the minimum Level your character should be at in order to enter the location and expect a good chance of survival. If the listed Level is significantly higher than yours, expect a tough or almost impossible challenge. |
| Habitation or Dungeon Type | This indicates what kind of location this is, and who is likely to be living there. Habitations are usually comprised of friendly folk, while Dungeons are usually hostile environments. |
Habitations
| Statistic | Description |
|---|---|
| Hold Capital (Major) | One of the five major Capital Cities. |
| Hold Capital (Minor) | One of the four minor Capital Cities. |
| All-Maker Stone | A stone sacred to the Skaal people of Solstheim. |
| Caravan | A campsite for one of the three Khajiit Caravans that travel the roads. |
| Dawnguard | A location or fort occupied by the Dawnguard. |
| Dock | A location where a Ferry may be taken. |
| Farm | Locations where crops are grown and harvested. |
| Hunter Camp | A place where fishermen or hunters have set up shelter. |
| Lumber Mill | A location where wood is cut and chopped, sometimes within a Town. |
| Military Fort | A large stone fortress, occupied by enemies until the Civil War drives them out. |
| Military: Imperial Camp | A forward-operations camp; may or may not be present depending on the state of the Civil War. |
| Military: Stormcloak Camp | A forward-operations camp; may or may not be present depending on the state of the Civil War. |
| Mine | A tunnel in the mountains where ore veins are mined. |
| Mountain Peak | A high location offering spectacular views and treacherous pathways. |
| Orc Stronghold | A settlement where Orcs rule; you must be Blood-Kin to the Orcs to enter freely. |
| Nord Mead Hall | An ancient structure on the isle of Solstheim where Nords have lived for centuries. |
| Skaal Village | The center of life for the hardy Skaal people of Solstheim. |
| Towns | Smaller settlements, usually with private homes, an inn, and farms. |
| Vigilants of Stendarr | A location where the Vigilants worship and fend off attackers. |
Dungeons
This location offers one or more Crafting stations.
| Statistic | Description |
|---|---|
| Animal Den | A place where wild animals hunt from and store their kills. |
| Bandit Camp | A camp or fortification where marauding bandits attack from. |
| Dragon Lair | An ancient place where dragons have been seen (but may not be present). |
| Dragon Priest Lair | An ancient crypt where a fearsome Dragon Priest resides. |
| Draugr Crypt | A barrow with mausoleums and catacombs where the ancient Nords buried their dead. |
| Dwarven City | A vast, awe-inspiring ruin built by a vanished race known as Dwemer. |
| Falmer Hive or Lair | A cave or ruin inhabited by the degenerate remnants of the original elves of Skyrim. |
| Forsworn Redoubt | A place where native Reachmen plot to drive the Nords from The Reach. |
| Giant Camp | A place where nomadic Giants and their Mammoth herds congregate. |
| Hagraven Nest | A ruin where witches gather, sacrificing animals or worse. |
| Ideal Masters | An other-world location ruled by the unknown Ideal Masters. |
| Reaver Camp (Pirate Camp) | A camp or fortification where Solstheim marauders attack from. |
| Riekling Camp | A camp or fortification where primitive, blue-skinned foes lurk. |
| Spriggan Grove | A place where nature is embraced, and protected from all threats (including you). |
| Vampire Lair | The darkened hideout of a clan of Vampires. |
| Warlock Lair | A fort or cave where rogue mages practice their spells. |
| Werebear Lair | A cave or promontory where vicious lycanthropes lurk. |
| Services: | This location has a person prepared to trade or otherwise aid your progress: |
| Follower | Accompanies you on your adventurer. |
| Marriage Prospect | Seeks companionship and love. |
| Trainer | Helps you improve a particular Skill. |
| Trader: Apothecary | Buys and sells potions and ingredients. |
| Trader: Bartender | Buys and sells food items (usually mead) |
| Trader: Blacksmith | Buys and sells weapons, armor, or both, plus crafting materials. |
| Trader: Carriage Driver | Can be hired to bring you to any Hold Capital city—very useful! |
| Trader: Fence | Buys and sells illicit goods. |
| Trader: Ferryman | Can be hired to bring you to any major city accessible by ocean. |
| Trader: Fletcher | Buys and sells weapons (usually bows), armor, or both, plus crafting materials. |
| Trader: Food Vendor | Buys and sells a variety of foodstuffs. |
| Trader: General Goods Vendor | Buys and sells a broad range of goods—unload your loot here! |
| Trader: Innkeeper | Rents rooms for the night, and often sells food and drink. Good source of gossip, too. |
| Trader: Jeweler | Rare merchants who buy and sell trinkets and baubles such as necklaces and rings. |
| Trader: Special | Rare merchants who offer special goods (see the Appendix). |
| Trader: Spell Vendor | Buys and sells spell tomes and scrolls. |
| Trader: Stablemaster | Sells horses, but they aren't cheap! |
| Special Area: | This object or area has a special significance and should be investigated: |
| Black Book | A tome of forbidden knowledge that transports you to Apocrypha when read. |
| Business Ledger | A shop with a book detailing incomings and outgoings; useful during some Thieves Guild Quests. |
| Civil War Map | A location showing how the Civil War is progressing. Activate areas to add them to your World Map. |
| Dragon Mounds | The ancient burial sites of the Dragons; these are disturbed over the course of the Main Quest. |
| Shrines | A small shrine to one of the Divines, where you can receive a small buff and cure your diseases. |
| Standing Stones or All-Maker Stones | An ancient stone monolith where a powerful ability can be gained or exchanged. |
| Word Walls | Locations where a Word of Power (Shout) is learned. |
| Crafting: | |
| Alchemy Lab | A table-sized laboratory where ingredients are mixed (Alchemy Skill). |
| Arcane Enchanter | A rune-inscribed table where enchantments are imbued or extracted (Enchanting Skill). |
| Anvil or Blacksmith Forge | The tools of a Blacksmith allowing metal and leather to be molded (Smithing Skill). |
| Cooking Pot or Spit | A location where basic recipes from food you collect can be cooked. |
| Grindstone | A wheel that allows weapons to be sharpened (Smithing Skill). |
| Smelter | A miner’s furnace, allowing Ore (and certain Dwarven materials) to be smelted into Ingots. |
| Staff Enchanter | An experimental device capable of imbuing staves with magical power (Enchanting Skill). |
| Tanning Rack | A tool allowing pelts to be dried and turned into leather for Smithing or trade. |
| Wood Chopping Block | A place where wood can be cut and sold to lumber mill owners. |
| Workbench | A crafting bench that allows armor to be tempered (Smithing Skill). |
| Dangers: | A potential death-trap that can infect you with disease. Watch for the following traps: |
| Trap Types | Apocrypha Tentacles, Apocrypha Water, Bear Trap, Battering Ram Trap, Bone Alarm Trap, Crossbow Trap, Dart Trap, Dwarven Ballista Trap, Dwarven Fire Pillar Trap, Dwarven Piston Trap, Dwarven Thresher, Explosive Gas Trap, Flail Trap, Flamethrower Trap, Infected Spike Trap, Magic Caster Trap, Mammoth Skull Trap, Oil Lamp Trap, Oil Pool Trap, Poison Blooms, Poison Gas Trap, Rockfall Trap, Rune Trap, Spear Trap, Swinging Blade Trap, Swinging Wall Trap, Hinge Trigger, Pressure Pedestal, Pressure Plate, Tripwire. |
| Puzzle: | The location has a brain-teasing puzzle that requires some thinking to solve. |
| Ceremonial Crypt | A grand and sprawling area with head-scratching puzzles to solve. |
| Dwarven Puzzle | A complex mechanical puzzle within some Dwarven Ruins. |
| Nordic Puzzle Door | A firmly-sealed door with three concentric metal plates and a central “keyhole.” |
| Nordic Puzzle Pillars | A series of stone pillars to turn and place in the correct orientation. |
| Rotating Walls | Rotating walls that prevent your progress. |
| Runic Door | A firmly-sealed door with strange runes to imbue with magic. |
| Secret Bookcase Door | A hidden door leading to a secret area. |
| Underground Connection | This location links to another via a subterranean tunnel or series of chambers. |
| Collectibles | An item of worth or interest to you, or a particular individual. Many have special or unique powers. |
| Acolyte Priest Mask | A ceremonial mask worn by Miraak and his dangerous acolytes: Solstheim Side Quest: Masks of the Acolyte Priests*. |
| Captured Critter | An insect caught in a glass jar. Find these as part of Side Quest: Captured Critters*. |
| Crimson Nirnroot | A red variant of the chiming plant, found only in Blackreach: Side Quest: A Return to your Roots. |
| Dragon Priest Mask | A ceremonial mask worn by a dangerous Dragon Priest: Side Quest: Masks of the Dragon Priests*. |
| East Empire Strongbox | A Strongbox holding a pendant to sell: Solstheim Side Quest: The Great Strongbox Hunt*. |
| Kagrumez Resonance Gem | Strange stones that allow access into a dwarven dungeon: Solstheim Side Quest: The Challenges of Kagrumez*. |
| Skill Book | These books increase a specific Skill by a single point when they are first read. |
| Treasure Map | Pieces of parchment with a visual clue: Side Quest: The Great Skyrim Treasure Hunt*. |
| Unique Item | A particularly powerful or interesting item of which there is only one of in existence. |
| Unique Weapon | A particularly powerful weapon of which there is only one of in existence. |
| Unusual Gem | These are stones that form the Crown of Barenziah: Thieves Guild Radiant Quest: No Stone Unturned. |
| Miscellaneous: | Any other pertinent information is listed here. |
| Area Is Locked | This location requires a specific key to enter (usually as part of a Quest). |
| Chest (Apothecary’s Satchel, Knapsack, Satchel, Stongbox) | One or more chests or containers worth your time to scavenge. |
| Potions | Two to five potions are in this general area. |
| Potions Aplenty | Over five potions are available in this general area. |
| Loose Gear | A collection of weapons, armor, or spell books is available in this general area. |
| Lots o’ Gold | A sizable haul of gold (or jewelry, including necklaces and pendants) can be found or stolen here. |
Additional Locations
Overview
Locations from the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn add-ons are included in this Atlas. To distinguish them from locations in the original game, they have been marked with the appropriate icon, and have a reference number based on the add-on in which they appeared.
Dawnguard includes 20 new or modified locations. Most of these are described in the appropriate Hold chapter, but two locations, the Soul Cairn and Forgotten Vale, are listed among the Other Realms.
Hearthfire includes 8 new or modified locations, all of which can be found in the appropriate Hold chapter.
Dragonborn includes 2 modified locations on the mainland of Skyrim. It also adds the island of Solstheim and the realm of Apocrypha, which are covered in detail in the final three chapters of the Atlas.
Available Locations
- Dawnguard Locations: 20 (14 new, 6 modified)
- Hearthfire Locations: 8 (3 new, 5 modified)
- Dragonborn (Skyrim) Locations: 2 (2 modified)
- Dragonborn (Solstheim) Locations.
The world map and original atlas have been updated with flags to let you know where new content appears. In this section, the following table provides all the knowledge you need to understand these new locations:
| Reference Number | Name | New Location or Modified? | Hold | Principal Quest(s) | Page # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [DG.01] | Dimhollow Crypt | New | The Pale | Dawnguard Main Quest: Awakening | 770 |
| [DG.02] | Forebears’ Holdout | New | Hjaalmarch | Dawnguard Main Quest: Prophet | 743 |
| [DG.03] | Ancestors Glade | New | Falkreath | Dawnguard Main Quest: Unseen Visions | 926 |
| [DG.04] | Redwater Den | Modified | The Rift | Dawnguard Main Quest: The Bloodstone Chalice | 971 |
| [DG.05] | Ruunvald Excavation | New | The Rift | Dawnguard Faction Quest: Bolstering the Ranks | 973 |
| [DG.06] | Dayspring Canyon (and Mossy Glen Cave) | New | The Rift | Dawnguard Main Quest: All | 974 |
| [DG.07] | Fort Dawnguard (and Dead Drop Falls) | New | The Rift | Dawnguard Main Quest: All | 974 |
| [DG.08] | Icewater Jetty | New | Haafingar | Dawnguard Main Quest: All | 715 |
| [DG.09] | Castle Volkihar | New | Haafingar | Dawnguard Main Quest: All | 715 |
| [DG.10] | Soul Cairn | New | Other Realms | Dawnguard Main Quest: Beyond Death | 986 |
| [DG.11] | Darkfall Cave | New | The Reach | Dawnguard Main Quest: Touching the Sky | 839 |
| [DG.12] | Forgotten Vale | New | Other Realms | Dawnguard Main Quest: Touching the Sky | 995 |
| [DG.13] | Arkngthamz | New | The Reach | Side Quest: Lost to the Ages | 842 |
| [DG.14] | Deep Folk Crossing | Modified | The Reach | Side Quest: Lost to the Ages | 817 |
| [DG.15] | Raldbthar | Modified | The Pale | Side Quest: Lost to the Ages | 766 |
| [DG.16] | Mzulft: Dwarven Storeroom | Modified | Eastmarch | Side Quest: Lost to the Ages | 888 |
| [DG.17] | Ruins of Bthalft: The Aetherium Forge | Modified | The Rift | Side Quest: Lost to the Ages | 947 |
| [DG.18] | Moldering Ruins | New | Whiterun | Dawnguard or Vampire Faction Quest | 869 |
| [DG.19] | Hall of the Vigilant | Modified | The Pale | Dawnguard Main Quest | 755 |
| [DG.20] | Arcwind Point | Modified | The Rift | None | 948 |
| [HF.01] | Proudspire Manor | Modified | Haafingar | None | 695 |
| [HF.02] | Windstad Manor | New | Hjaalmarch | None | 743 |
| [HF.03] | Heljarchen Hall | New | The Pale | None | 772 |
| [HF.04] | Vlindrel Hall | Modified | The Reach | None | 805 |
| [HF.05] | Breezehome | Modified | Whiterun | None | 848 |
| [HF.06] | Hjerim | Modified | Eastmarch | None | 876 |
| [HF.07] | Lakeview Manor | New | Falkreath | None | 927 |
| [HF.08] | Honeyside | Modified | The Rift | None | 937 |
| [DB.01] | Northern Maiden | Modified | Eastmarch | Dragonborn Main Quest: Dragonborn | 874 |
| [DB.02] | Last Vigil | Modified | The Rift | Side Quest: The Ebony Warrior | 798 |
DAWNGUARD SERVICES, CRAFTING, AND COLLECTIBLES
Services
- Followers: [DG13/13]
- Houses for Sale: [HF3/3]
- Marriage Prospects: [DG3/3]
- Skill Trainers: [DG7/7]
- Archery: [DG1/1]
- Destruction: [DG1/1]
- Heavy armor: [DG1/1]
- Restoration: [DG1/1]
- Smithing [DG1/1]
- Speech [DG1/1]
- Two-Handed [DG1/1]
Traders [DG11/11], [HF12/12]: [DG and HF 23/23]
- Apothecary [DG2/2]
- Bartender [DG1/1]
- Blacksmith [DG2/2]
- Ferryman [DG3/3]
- General Goods [DG2/2]
- Special Goods [DG1/1]
- Carriage driver [HF3/3]
- Lumberjack [HF9/9]
Collectibles
- Unique Items [DG17/17]
- Unique Weapons [DG7/7]
Special Objects
- Shrines [DG30/30]
- Auriel: [DG2/2]
- Nocturnal [DG1/1]
- Akatosh: [DG3/3]
- Arkay: [DG3/3]
- Dibella: [DG3/3]
- Julianos: [DG3/3]
- Kynareth: [DG3/3]
- Mara: [DG3/3]
- Stendarr: [DG3/3]
- Talos: [DG3/3]
- Zenithar: [DG3/3]
- Word Walls: [DG1/1]
- Drain Vitality [DG1/1]