Skyrim:Winterhold (region)

This article is about the hold. For the city, see Winterhold.

Hold: Winterhold
Capital	Winterhold (map)
Jarl's Residence	Jarl's Longhouse
Military Fort	Fort Kastav
Initial Affiliation	Stormcloaks
Imperial Government
Jarl	Kraldar
Steward	Malur Seloth
Housecarl	Thonjolf
Stormcloaks Government
Jarl	Korir
Steward	Malur Seloth
Housecarl	Thaena
Location
Northeast part of Skyrim

The Winterhold region in the northeast corner of Skyrim

Winterhold is a hold in northeast Skyrim, with its capital in the city of Winterhold. It is initially affiliated with the Stormcloaks, but can be captured by the Imperials after completing Rescue from Fort Kastav.

Winterhold is the northernmost hold in Skyrim, and has weather to match. The Sea of Ghosts is off its northern coast, Eastmarch is to the southeast and Dawnstar is to the south and west.

Perhaps the most notable feature of Winterhold is the College of Winterhold, a fortress-like school for mages which was spared on a rocky outcropping even though the Great Collapse tore down most of the city around it. All that remains of the devastated city is a small village near the entrance to the College.

Topographical Overview

Winterhold consists of snowy coasts and even snowier mountains. To the west and southwest is the Winterhold mountain range, which marks the border between Winterhold and The Pale, and some of the northern border with Eastmarch. Between the mountains and the sea to the east lies a tundra, where the elements have rendered the landscape barren and lifeless. Rock and ice shelves, and occasionally shingle beaches, form the barrier between Winterhold and the sea to the north and east. To the north the tundra stretch out into the Sea of Ghosts, forming one of the most inhospitable environments in Skyrim.

Mount Anthor, the highest peak in Winterhold

Flora and Fauna

Not many plants or creatures can survive Winterhold's harsh continental climate, and the hold is generally devoid of life as a result. The only plant that really makes a home here is the snowberry bush. Only the hardiest of creatures make their home in Winterhold, such as Wolves, Ice Wolves, Snow Bears, Snowy Sabre Cats and Horkers. The Wolves and Horkers fare far better than the rest, but still face a hard time looking for food. Occasionally, an unlucky traveller might also stumble upon an Ice Wraith, or worse, a Wispmother.

Routes and Pathways

There is only on main road running through Winterhold. It originates as a branch of the Whiterun-Windhelm road. It runs northward through the eastern side of the hold right to the city of Winterhold. Another smaller and less used road runs from Winterhold to the ancient ruins of Saarthal.

Places

• All locations in the Hold with individual map markers are listed. There are a few places without map markers listed for their significance.

Hold Capital

•  Winterhold — A city located on the northeastern tip of Skyrim. (map)
•  College of Winterhold — A school of the arcane arts. (map)

Farms, Towns, and Settlements including Orc Strongholds and Inns

•  Japhet's Folly — Located on the small Rockjoint Island far northeast of Skyrim in the Sea of Ghosts, that is visited during the quest Rise in the East. (map)
• The Chill — The jail for Winterhold, located on an island north-northeast of the College of Winterhold, or northeast of Septimus Signus's Outpost across the sea. (map)

Camps, including Giant Camps and Military Camps

•  Winterhold Imperial Camp — An Imperial camp southeast of Dawnstar. (map)
•  Winterhold Stormcloak Camp — A Stormcloak camp located northeast of Windhelm, close to the White River. (map)

Caves

•  Bleakcoast Cave — A small ice cave containing frost trolls, located southeast of Winterhold and directly east of the Shrine of Azura. (map)
•  Hob's Fall Cave — A small cave on the coast between Winterhold and Dawnstar inhabited by warlocks. (map)
•  Septimus Signus's Outpost — A cave within a large iceberg north of Winterhold, containing Septimus Signus and a Dwemer Lockbox. (map)
•  Sightless Pit — A medium-sized Dwarven ruin in Winterhold that is infested with Falmer. (map)
•  Stillborn Cave — A small cave north-northwest of Windhelm, on the other side of the mountains from the city. (map)
•  Yngvild — A cave found on an island east-northeast of Dawnstar in the far northern reaches of Skyrim. (map)

Dragon Lairs

•  Mount Anthor — A mountain southwest of Winterhold and west of the Shrine of Azura. (map)

Mines

•  Whistling Mine — A small iron mine located southeast of Winterhold. (map)

Ruins including Dwarven and Nordic

•  Alftand — A large Dwarven ruin southwest of Winterhold. (map)
• Blackreach — An immense, naturally lit cavern inhabited by hordes of Falmer and containing the ruins of a Dwemer city. (map)
•  Ironbind Barrow — A Nordic ruin which contains a word wall for the Become Ethereal shout, and the tomb of a long dead warlord. (map)
•  Journeyman's Nook — A small and ancient Nordic shelter southeast of Winterhold. (map)
•  Saarthal — A medium-sized Nordic ruin southwest of Winterhold (quest-specific). (map)
•  Sightless Pit — A medium-sized Dwarven ruin in Winterhold that is infested with Falmer. (map)
•  Skytemple Ruins — A hilltop sparsely covered with ruins directly north of the College of Winterhold. (map)
•  Snow Veil Sanctum — A medium-sized Nordic ruin north-northeast of Windhelm containing draugr. (map)
•  Yngol Barrow — A barrow northeast of Windhelm on the south bank of the White River. (map)
•  Ysgramor's Tomb — A Nordic ruin northwest of Winterhold containing draugr and frostbite spiders. (map)

Standing Stones and Daedric Shrines

•  The Serpent Stone — One of the thirteen Standing Stones scattered across Skyrim. (map)
•  Shrine of Azura — A statue dedicated to the Daedric Prince of dawn and dusk. (map)
•  The Tower Stone — One of the thirteen Standing Stones scattered across Skyrim. (map)

Towers and Forts

•  Driftshade Refuge — A dilapidated fort located southeast of Dawnstar. (map)
•  Fort Fellhammer — A fort and iron mine inhabited by bandits, south of Dawnstar. (map)
•  Fort Kastav — A fort northwest of Windhelm on the main Whiterun-Winterhold road, initially occupied by warlocks and skeletons. (map)
•  Snowpoint Beacon — A single watch tower consisting of three stories, found in Winterhold, south-southwest of Driftshade Refuge. (map)

Landmarks, including Bodies of Water, Clearings, Ships and Shipwrecks

•  Frostflow Lighthouse — A lighthouse located west of Winterhold in the north of Skyrim. (map)
•  Great Lift at Alftand — A Dwarven lift to Blackreach located northeast of Nightgate Inn. (map)
•  Hela's Folly — A small shipwreck northeast of Dawnstar. (map)
•  Pilgrim's Trench — A ship graveyard not far off of the northern coast of Skyrim. (map)
• Sea of Ghosts — A vast ocean along the northern coast of Skyrim. (map)
•  Wayward Pass — A pass through the mountains in the southwest of Winterhold province. (map)
•  Wreck of The Pride of Tel Vos — A shipwreck on a small island to the east of Winterhold. (map)
•  Wreck of the Winter War — A shipwreck overrun with bandits. It is located east-southeast of Snow Veil Sanctum and far northeast of Windhelm. (map)

Unmarked Places

• There are four Shrines in Winterhold.
  • A Shrine of Arkay near the Winterhold Stormcloak Camp.
  • Three Shrines of Talos:
    • East of Hob's Fall Cave.
    • East of the Tower Stone.
    • Northeast of Ysgramor's Tomb.

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