Bilegulch Mine is an orichalcum mine southwest of Fort Sungard, taken over by a band of Orc bandits who clearly know a valuable seam when they see one. The camp outside is barricaded and dotted with Orcish-style buildings, and the mine itself is packed with ore. If you are working your way up in Smithing, this place is close to a dream.
What you’ll find
- Orc bandits: one at a lookout by the entrance, one on the walkways, one at the forge, and a leader in his own building outside. The bandit chief waits inside the mine.
- A full smithing setup in the outdoor camp: forge, smelter and workbench.
- Nine orichalcum ore veins inside the mine – the first one sits straight ahead as you enter, with a pickaxe lying right next to it – plus an iron ore vein outside, opposite the entrance to the fortification.
- Two chests outside and a boss chest inside, unlocked with the key carried by the chief.
Quests
- Trouble in Skyrim – Farkas of the Companions can send you here to clear out the bandits.
- Bounty quests – Jarl Siddgeir may also ask you to wipe out this gang as part of earning a thaneship from him. Fun detail: they used to pay him tribute, and the job only comes up after they stopped.
Notable items
- The Armorer’s Challenge – Smithing skill book on a table with pickaxes inside the mine.
- Six pieces of orichalcum ore on a wagon just outside the entrance.
- An Orcish greatsword and a leveled helmet on a table near the forge, along with some low-tier gear.
Tips
The rocky slopes around the camp are steep, and a bandit can tumble off the cliff below the forge and get stuck there. He is easy to finish with a bow or spell, but looting him means jumping down from the forge ledge and walking all the way back round.
If you can’t mine some of the veins, step out and re-enter the mine – that usually fixes it. Then smelt the lot at the camp, forge something Orcish and admire the irony.
Good to know
East of the mine, near a dragon burial mound, lies Toadstool Ring, an unmarked circle of mushrooms worth a short detour.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Lost Valley Redoubt, Bard’s Leap Summit, Glenmoril Coven, Falkreath Imperial Camp, Fort Sungard.
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.
