Iron, thankfully, is one of the most plentiful ores across Skyrim. From the Reach to Eastmarch, you will find many iron ore veins and mines alike. Let’s go over a few key locations to find iron ore in Skyrim, and then we can learn how to smelt iron ingots.
Where to Get Iron Ore
Iron ore can be found by mining iron ore veins or as a standalone chunk of iron ore already mined from an ore vein. There are dozens of locations where you can find iron ore veins, chunks of iron ore, or even iron ingots, but the most bountiful finds are Halted Stream Camp in Whiterun Hold, Fort Fellhammer in Winterhold, and Embershard Mine in Falkreath Hold.
Halted Stream Camp
Halted Stream Camp is a bandit camp straight north of Whiterun on the map. It is laden with traps, bandits, iron ore veins, and, oddly enough, a special secret. I was able to find the Transmute spell on a table next to the boss chest—and the bandit chief—which allowed me to transmute iron ore to silver ore, and silver ore to gold ore. But, besides that, Halted Stream Camp offers the most iron ore veins in one single location of the game—so have at it!
Fort Fellhammer
Fort Fellhammer in Winterhold is a fort southeast of Dawnstar on the map, with a few bandits guarding the exterior, one unlocked door at the top of the wall, and a locked door leading to the mine at the center of the bottom level of the fort. Inside the unlocked door, I came across a bandit chief who held the key to the Fort Fellhammer Mines, the locked door on the ground level of the fort’s exterior. Once you get the key from him, you’re free to enter the mines, where you will find plenty of iron ore vein—and more bandits. This location also boasts its smelter outside of the mines!
Embershard Mine
Embershard Mine is one of the first locations you can discover on your way to Riverwood from the start of vanilla Skyrim. It is located northwest of Helgen and southwest of Riverwood. There’s a bandit guarding the outside of the mine and several on the inside. And, once again, you will have to fight a bandit chief, but plenty of iron ore veins and other goodies will make up for it along the way.
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How to Smelt Iron Ingots in Skyrim
Smelters are dome-shaped objects found near most blacksmiths throughout Skyrim, in many random locations throughout the world; they can be added to any homes you’ve built if you have the Hearthfire DLC and are also in some of the player homes added by the Creation Club. To use a smelter, have the iron ore in your inventory and activate it. A menu will then come up, allowing you to smelt various ores. Iron ore is unique in that you only need one iron ore to smelt an iron ingot, whereas all other ores require two ores to smelt an ingot. Iron ore can also be used in tandem with corundum ore to make a steel ingot.
What to Do with Iron Ingots
Once you have your hands on some iron ingots, you might be wondering: what are these good for? Well, my friend, iron is the essential starter item for any aspiring blacksmith in Skyrim. They can be used to make weapons, armor, and other items, such as nails and hinges used to build homes in the Hearthfire DLC.
In conclusion, iron is the most common ore found in Skyrim. And while I’ve only listed three locations that boast the most plentiful iron ore veins, be sure to explore other mines in different holds, look for iron ore veins standalone in the landscape, and, of course, be free to buy (or swipe) from any one of the many blacksmiths and merchants in Skyrim that offer iron ore or iron ingots—the world of Skyrim is your oyster!
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