8 Skyrim hidden quests

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Jump to:

1. Forbidden Legend
2. Kyne's Sacred Trials
3. Forgotten Names
4. Coming of Age
5. The Ghost of Old Hroldan
6. The Book of Love
7. Rise in the East
8. The Pale Lady

Skyrim hidden quests are scattered all over its huge map. There are plenty of remote locations with interesting objectives found in the less visited corners of the continent, and even tucked away in some cities. It's worth taking the time to seek them out too for hours of interesting missions and unique loot. While a lot of the best Skyrim quests just take a little searching around, some of these require you to more or less accidently happen across random areas.

The 'main' mission in Skyrim is basically only there as a narrative backbone, with adventuring off the beaten path the real objective. But some things are really, really off the path and to save you the time of exploring and tracking them down use this list to locate some of the best Skyrim hidden. You'll save time and get straight to the good stuff.

Skyrim Forbidden Legend quest

This quest is easy to miss if you haven’t joined the College of Winterhold and you can start it by finding and reading a book called Lost Legends. It can be found generally around Skyrim but you'll definitely find a copy on a dead body at Reachwater Rock, which is east of Markarth. The book will point you towards Folgunthur, where you’ll find more dead bodies (always a good sign) and more intrigue. For reasons I won't spoilt here it's best to stock up on healing potions before you head into the dungeon and make sure you’re not carrying too much already.

Skyrim Kyne's Sacred Trials quest

This not the best quest for a low level player as you'll have to hunt and kill a lot of challenging animals. You'll also have to be good at climbing to reach a precarious and high location. To trigger the mission you’ll have to reach and talk to a chap called Froki Whetted-Blade who lives halfway up a steep mountain west of Riften, near Autumnwatch Tower. You'll need to be careful as his shack is close to the edge of the cliff and one misplaced step could easily send you over the edge. Talk to him once you reach him and he’ll ask you if you’re a true hunter which will begin his quest.

Skyrim Forgotten Names quest

Underneath the College of Winterhold is a dungeon called The Midden you can reach through a trapdoor in the stairwell in the Hall of Countenance. Explore down there and you'll find a daedric gauntlet. The quest doesn’t appear in your journal and only following these steps will get things moving. First, search the area to find a key and an incident report on a nearby table. The incident report says that you need four missing rings from a chest in the Arcanaeum, the library in the College of Winterhold. It will also make it clear that it is not a good idea to get the four rings. But it's entirely up to you and how you feel about reverse psychology as to what you actually do. If you get the rings and put them on the gauntlet... something will happen, then it’s up to you how you proceed.

Skyrim Coming of Age quest

Head south-east of Dawnstar and trek to Ironbind Barrow and you'll find a warrior and a wizard arguing about whether to explore it or not, with the wizard hesitant considering the undead dangers within. The addition of the Dragonborn to their party will fill them with confidence, however, and they’ll accompany you within the dungeon. It's a mission full of surprises so don't look it up and enjoy the fun.

Skyrim The Ghost of Old Hroldan quest

The Old Hroldan Inn is on the eastern side of the major river flowing near Markarth, south of Soljund’s Sinkhole. Simply pay some septims and sleep in the room Tiber Septim slept in to be visited by a ghost and trigger a quest to retrieve a sword. More importantly, completing the quest will get you a +1 training to One-Handed weapons and Block. Very useful if that's your style.

Skyrim The Book of Love quest

Go to the Temple of Mara in Riften (it’s left of Mistveil Keep) and have a chat with the head priestess and she’ll set you on your way to earning Mara’s favour. This is also a combat-free quest so it makes a good respite from hitting dragons with sharp objects or firing electricity from your hands.

Skyrim Rise in the East quest

Head along to the East Empire Trading Company office on Windhelm Docks. Talk to Orthus Endario and he’ll ask you to end their trouble with pirates once and for all. He won’t forget you either, as if you help him out he’ll come in useful later on in the game, especially in a quest called Diplomatic Immunity when you’ll be able to rope him in to help.

Skyrim The Pale Lady quest

Frostmere Crypt is a big Ancient Nordic tomb south of Dawnstar, and should send your alarm bells ringing because crypts are never usually good news. When you come across it you’ll find a bandit called Eisa being attacked by one of her own, who’s raving about the Pale Lady. If she lives (you can help her fight off her attacker or grab some popcorn and watch) she’ll tell you about a mysterious sword that is causing havoc in her bandit camp, but she hates the sword so much that she won’t offer to accompany you inside Frostmere Crypt. Don’t worry if she ends up dead, because you can loot her corpse and find a journal which says pretty much the same thing and will still trigger the quest. The reward for completing the quest is most definitely worth it, so get ready to go dungeon delving!