Widow’s Watch Ruins is a collapsing old tower in the countryside west of Solitude. It leans at an angle that would make any architect nervous, and it is not home to much anymore – just one hostile witch and a little treasure on the top floor. Quick visit, quick reward, as long as the resident doesn’t mind the intrusion. Spoiler: she does.
What you’ll find
- A hostile witch (or hag) who has made the ruin her home.
- A lopsided tower whose top floor can only be reached by going round and entering from the back.
- An expert-locked chest on the top floor, tucked beneath an overturned table.
- A Restoration skill book.
Notable items
- 2920, Rain’s Hand, v4 – Restoration skill book.
- Expert-locked chest on the top floor.
Tips
Don’t waste time looking for stairs from the front: the way up is around the back of the tilted tower. Deal with the witch first, since she will not let you browse in peace, and spellcasters hit hard if you give them room. Bring a good stock of lockpicks or a decent Lockpicking skill for the expert chest – breaking six picks on a table-covered box while standing in a crooked tower is a special kind of Skyrim frustration. The skill book alone makes the detour worthwhile for any healer or Restoration build.
Good to know
There is no dungeon interior, no boss chest and nothing else of note here, so once the witch is dealt with and the chest is open, you are free to move on. The ruin works best as a quick stop on the way to other places west of the capital.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: The Steed Stone, Fort Hraggstad, Ravenscar Hollow, Ironback Hideout, Orphan’s Tear.
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.