The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a good balance between tranquility and graft. If you want to construct certain home comforts in-game, then a lot of materials will have to be mined.
Clay is a popular building material in Skyrim and many other open-world games. This guide will highlight every location where you can mine clay and how to get there.
Where to find clay
Clay is primarily used to build and furnish homesteads, as well as Shrine bases, Smelters, Trophy bases, Planters and Walls.
The material can be mined from many sources, some random and others as designated deposits.
Clay deposits look like brown smudges in the ground and can be mined with a pickaxe. Each deposit holds around 4000 units of clay.
Homestead deposits
Heljarchen Hall
Heljarchen Hall is a homestead that sits within The Pale mountain tundra, south of Whiterun and the Throat of the World.
A clay deposit sits outside of the hall to the right, sitting at the rear of the stable.
There is also a deposit located in front of the carpenter’s table at the Stone Quarry.
Lakeview Manor
Lakeview Manor sits within the forested foothills of Falkreath Hold, located between Falkreath and Riverwood.
A clay deposit sits outside of the manor, facing the front door and in front of three trees.
Windstad Manor
The final homestead is situated in the forested banks within the delta of the Karth and Hjaal Rivers in Northern Hjaalmarch, near the Western border of The Pale.
A clay deposit will be north of the wood chopping block, and east of the log pile.
Other deposits
Bleakwind Basin
This encampment is situated west of Whiterun and is home to two giants and their mammoths.
Bleakwind Basin can therefore be identified by its mammoth skull icon, and a clay deposit can be found if you travel north of the campfire to the edge of the pond.
Brandy-Mug Farm
This farm is located outside of the city of Windhelm, east of Windhelm Stables.
A clay deposit is situated north of the farm near the river bank.
South Brittleshin Pass
This cave sits west of Riverwood and a clay deposit can be found close by.
Travel south from the cave entrance and look for a wooden pier sunk in the lake. The clay deposit lies to the east of the pier, where there is a small cut of land.
Bruca’s Leap Redoubt
This fortified Forsworn camp is located next to the Karth River, southwest of Dragon Bridge.
A clay deposit sits at the end of the southwest path out of the camp’s main entrance. Follow the path to the river and the deposit sits down the mountain across from Harmugstahl.
Druadach Redoubt
The second Forsworn camp is located within The Reach, situated in the Druadach Mountains northwest of Harmugstahl and Dragontooth Crater.
Take the trail out of the camp’s north entrance and pass the bear trap. Cross at this point to the north side of the river at the base of the waterfall and a clay deposit will be at the edge of the water.
Guardian Stones
These three stones sit along the southwest road of Riverwood, and a clay deposit sits northwest across the river from a hunter’s camp.
Ilinalta Fisherman
This fisherman’s camp is situated at Lake Ilinalta and is an unmarked location, but it can be found northeast of the Hunter’s Rest.
A clay deposit sits near the trail going into the camp.
Ivarstead
This community sits west of Shor’s Stone, northwest of Riften and east of Riverwood.
Take the north path out of Ivarstead towards the bridge and follow the path to the river. Between a small waterfall on the left and a large waterfall on the right, a clay deposit will sit at the river’s edge.
A second deposit can be found down the hill near a troll cave on the right. Cross the river to the north and the deposit will be on the edge of the water.
Kolskeggr Mine
This mine lies within The Reach, east of Markarth. Go to Pavo’s house, the owner of the mine, and travel northeast until you reach the second tree on the right. You can then turn right to reach a clay deposit across the river between the logs.
Largashbur
This Orc Stronghold sits in The Rift’s southern mountains, southwest of Lake Honrich.
A clay deposit lies below the bridge at the lake.
Lost Valley Redoubt
This ruin sits in the southwest of The Reach, halfway between Markarth and Falkreath, sitting at the river head of the Karth River.
Below the Forsworn camp, a clay deposit can be found north of the waterfall at the edge of the lake.
Mara’s Eye Pond
This small pond can be found east of Gallows Rock, southwest of Morvunskar, and a clay deposit sits on the west shore.
Merryfair Farm
This farm is located on the northern shore of Lake Honrich, northwest of the Riften Stables.
A clay deposit can be found southwest of the fence facing the water, along the shore between the cliffs.
Nightgate Inn
This inn is situated on the main road between Dawnstar and Windhelm, west of the Forsaken Cave.
You can find three clay deposits on the banks of the pond behind the inn. One underneath the dock on the left, one on the southern shore and one on the eastern shore.
Riften
This city is located in the southeastern corner of The Rift, sitting east of Lake Honrich.
Leave the city using the southwest gate, between Mistveil Keep and the orphanage. Upon leaving, turn right and follow the wall until you reach the lake. You will see the clay deposit once you jump the three rocks.
Riverwood
This small village is located on the eastern bank of the White River in Whiterun Hold, set in the valley between the river and the steep side of Throat of the World.
Walk towards the log mill and follow the rapids upstream. Before the falls, a clay deposit can be found under a ridge next to the bank on the left.
Robber’s Gorge
This camp sits in the west of Hjaalmarch Hold, situated along the main route from Whiterun to Solitude, southwest of Morthal and west of Kilkreath Ruins.
Using the fast-travel point, go west and the clay deposit will be south of the standing stones along the shore.
Treva’s Watch
This fort is located west of Riften along the river, halfway to the community Ivarstead.
If you cross the river and head south, there will be a clay deposit next to slaughterfish eggs.
Valtheim Towers
These two towers are located east of Whiterun, and a clay deposit can be found on the north side of the river bank and west of the bridge.
Random clay locations
A riverbank between Sky Haven Temple and Reachwater Rock. There will be a crashed boat beside the river filled with gems and mead, and a clay deposit will be close to it.
The western riverbank of Karthspire.
South of Niflheim on one of the river banks.
If you go southeast of the Old Hroldan Inn, located south of Soljund’s Sinkhole, there will be a clay deposit near the river.
If you’re struggling to find straw in Skyrim, we’ve compiled a guide to help you find it and every store that sells the material.
