Whistling Mine is a modest iron mine southeast of Winterhold. It is small, mostly depleted and has just two ore veins left, but it is still a working operation with a foreman and a handful of miners. Stop by if you want to sell iron ore, pick up a Smithing skill book or have a look at the rarest shield in the game.
What you’ll find
- Thorgar, the foreman, who buys iron ore from you at seven gold apiece.
- Three miners working under him: Gunding, Angvid and Badnir.
- A single guard posted outside to protect the miners. He is one of only four guards protecting the whole region, and the only one carrying a Winterhold guard’s shield.
- Two iron ore veins inside the mine.
- A Smithing skill book resting on a barrel in the first room.
Notable items
- Heavy Armor Forging – Smithing skill book, on top of a barrel in the first room.
- Winterhold Guard’s Shield – carried by the guard outside; the only one of its kind in the game.
- 2 iron ore veins.
Tips
The skill book is the easy win here: walk in, read it, enjoy your free Smithing boost. Mine both veins and sell the ore straight to Thorgar if you are short on coin, though seven gold a chunk will not make you rich. If you are a collector and absolutely need that unique shield, you can pickpocket it from the guard or take it from him the hard way – just remember that attacking a guard counts as a crime, and the region has few enough of them already. Pickpocketing is the gentler option, assuming your hands are steady.
Good to know
With only four guards protecting the entire region, the one standing outside this unremarkable mine gets a surprising share of the security budget. It says a lot about how quiet – or how neglected – this corner of Skyrim is.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Journeyman’s Nook, Stillborn Cave, Shrine of Azura, Snow Veil Sanctum, Bleakcoast Cave.
Location data (hold, map position, editor ID) read from the Skyrim game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.