Gallows Rock is a fort southwest of Windhelm, with Cradlecrush Rock off to the southwest. The Silver Hand, a band of werewolf hunters, use it as one of their bases, and the name comes from the rope noose hanging off a rocky outcrop in the courtyard. Charming. For members of The Companions it’s one of the most memorable – and saddest – stops in their questline.
What you’ll find
- Silver Hand fighters throughout the fort, plus skeevers and a werewolf.
- Their leader, Krev the Skinner, with three more Silver Hand members in his chamber.
- A spiked doorway guarded by two werewolf heads on sticks. A pull chain on the pillar behind the left head lowers the spikes.
- An anvil, a workbench and no fewer than six tanning racks – they take their pelts seriously.
- Torture Tools, an item you’ll find in very few places.
Quests
In The Silver Hand, you wake up in the woods after your first transformation with Aela beside you. She tells you Skjor has gone ahead into Gallows Rock. Together you fight through the fort to Krev, only to find the hunters have already killed Skjor. Aela stays behind afterwards to grieve. Treasure Map VII also leads here.
Notable items
- Last Scabbard of Akrash – Smithing skill book.
- The Importance of Where – One-Handed skill book, on a table with a pelt and a pickaxe.
- Wolf Armor on Skjor’s body during the quest.
Tips
Look for the pull chain behind the left werewolf head rather than fighting the spikes. Silver Hand members are well equipped, so let Aela draw attention while you flank. If you happen to be in beast form, the werewolves here won’t attack you. Alchemists, take note: werewolf corpses here can be looted for human flesh, which makes Gallows Rock one of the more reliable (if grim) sources.
Good to know
Until (Dawnguard) added the Werewolf Vargr, Gallows Rock held the only naturally hostile werewolf in the game.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Mara’s Eye Pond, Cradlecrush Rock, Uttering Hills Cave, Mixwater Mill, Darkshade.
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.