When you come across a dungeon in Skyrim, you can be pretty sure there’s some shiny loot or powerful weapons waiting for you within. But there’s one location which promises the most bountiful horde of treasure you will ever lay your eyes on.
We show you how to find the biggest treasure stash in all of Skyrim (we counted over 10k in gold and item value), including two amazing pirate swords, in this step-by-step guide.
1. Download the Dragonborn expansion pack. At the time of writing this is only available for Xbox 360 and is priced at 1,600 Microsoft Points (around £15).
2. Reach level 36 before embarking on this quest; you won’t be able to start it without reaching this level first. Some sources say you actually must be level 38, but as we were level 40 when we started the quest, we have no way of finding out the correct level. Please let us know in the comments if you were level 36 or 37 and it let you start the quest.
3. Head to Solstheim. To get there, go into a town and wait until you’re attacked by cultists. Kill them and read their notes after searching their dead bodies. Catch the boat to Solstheim from the docks outside Windhelm.
4. Read the Deathbrand book. These can be found in various locations, including the Great Hall in Skaal Village. The easiest place to find it is probably The Retching Netch inn in Raven Rock, which is the town you arrive in by boat from Windhelm. It’s on a bookshelf in one of the bedrooms.
5. Find the pirates guarding the chest with the Deathbrand armour Helm in it near Haknir’s Shoal. One of them will have a treasure map.
6. Find all the other pieces of the armour by heading to locations marked on the map. The last chest will contain the key to Gyldenhul Barrow.
7. Visit Raven Rock again and talk to the smith Glover Mallory. He’ll send you on a quest to retrieve an Ancient Nord Pickaxe. Once you’ve got it and return to him, he’ll let you keep it.
8. Head to Gyldenhul Barrow in the North East of Solstheim.
9. Use the Ancient Nord Pickaxe to mine the Stahlrim in the room. One of the pieces of rock will give way to a hidden treasure room.
10. Enjoy your loot.
11. Continue through the doors ahead to enter a burial chamber. Pick up the sword from the skeleton at the far end of the room.
12. Kill all the ghosts.
13. Pick up the other sword from Hankir Death-Brand once he’s dead (again).
14. Enjoy living the life of a pirate with your two new swords: Bloodscythe and Soulrender.
More Skyrim tips and guides
- Skyrim: How to be a master thief
- Skyrim skills and race guide
- Skyrim: Alchemy guide
- How to get infinite arrows in Skyrim
- Where to find the best swords and daggers in Skyrim
- Skyrim: Unarmed video guide
- How to steal almost anything in Skyrim
- Skyrim: How to get married
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
i got the quest at 35
I got the quest at level 28
i got quest at 26