Markarth Stables sits just outside the city of Markarth, the place to go when you are tired of hiking through the western mountains on foot. Like the city behind it, it is built in carved Dwarven stone: one main building flanked by two small stone guard towers. Practically, it is a shop with two products – a horse and a dog – and both are worth a look.
What you’ll find
- Cedran, who has a pinto horse for sale. Every major stable has its own colour of horse, and the pinto is Markarth’s.
- Banning, who hangs around the stables during the day and sells Vigilance, a war dog, for 500 gold.
- The Dwarven main building and its two guard towers, built in the same carved stone as the city above.
- Kibell, who is also listed among the people you can meet here.
Other stables’ horses
- Whiterun Stables – black.
- Riften Stables – dapple grey.
- Solitude Stables – palomino.
- Windhelm Stables – bay with a white blaze and socks.
Tips
Think carefully before buying Vigilance as your companion: if he dies, Banning does not have a replacement, so treat him like the one-of-a-kind good boy he is. On the plus side, a Vigilance bought at a high level shrugs off spells like Calm and shouts like Kyne’s Peace, which makes him a surprisingly stubborn little bodyguard. Banning is only around the stables during the day, so time your visit for daylight if you want the dog. Planning a night-time burglary at the stables? Forget it – the dog barks and wakes Banning and Cedran, which is exactly what you would want from a guard dog and exactly what you do not want as a thief.
Good to know
If you are touring Skyrim to collect one horse of every colour, Markarth is the only place you will find the pinto.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Salvius Farm, Left Hand Mine, Ragnvald, Kolskeggr Mine, Hag Rock Redoubt.
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.