Mining turns accessible ore veins into smithing inputs, giving you raw material to smelt and use in equipment crafting or improvement.
Mines throughout Skyrim. Choose one that contains the ore type required by your planned smithing recipe; search the mine itself for visible veins.
Ore veins are visible features inside mines throughout Skyrim; the game does not mark them for you. Bring a pickaxe, look through the mine for veins of the metal you need, and extract ore for smelting. Choosing a specific material first keeps the trip useful: ore becomes ingots at a smelter, and ingots supply forge recipes and equipment improvements.
Drag to pan. Zoom in to read labels and markers.
Return to suitable mines whenever you need more ore. Veins replenish over time, but the interval and quantity are not fixed here; repeat the search, mining, smelting, and forging loop as needed.
Stop once you have enough ore to smelt for your planned craft or improvement, or when inventory space makes it worthwhile to process and return later.
Mines throughout Skyrim. Choose one that contains the ore type required by your planned smithing recipe; search the mine itself for visible veins.
More guides for gathering materials and making progress.
The Hearthfire fish hatchery provides a home-based way to breed aquatic ingredients for alchemy or cooking once you have built…
Hides supply leather and leather strips, which appear in forge recipes and make hunting trips contribute to Smithing materials.
Buying a few missing ingredients can complete a useful brew without forcing a long detour or waiting for a wild source to be…
