Yes Roslyn easy bus ride from Edinburgh and then you can go on to:

To Melrose for best abbeys - 2.5 hours by bus from Edinburgh

spend however many days in area = maybe 2 nights

take bus to Berwick - 1.25 hrs

Take train to York - 1 night

Take train to London- 2.25 hrs or so

Then London

<<Take train to York - 1 night>>

Am I missing something? Train from Edinburgh to London takes 4 hours 20 minutes or a bit more. Train from Edinburgh to York takes less than three hours.>

I did not give train time Berwick to York - should have - about 2 hours I suspect - 1 night was meant for staying in York - arriving around noon from Melrose-Berwick.

vinonobile987, Pal hates to give-up on his bus/train routes.

Well this is a very easy and best way to go from Melrose area where most tourists head to York - how would you propose - probably the usual bus tours - taking public transportation has its pluses too - like meeting real Scots and Brits. But to get from the Borders Abbey highlights to York as quick as possible it's bus to Berwick and train to York - the quickest most logical route if on a quick schedule as 4 days Edinburgh-London implies.

Well, but who would want to drag their luggage from bus to train and vice versa? We are not ready for it for sure, maybe other travelers are. To each their own, I guess.>

How would you go from Melrose to Berwick to York in one day? A taxi to Berwick can of course be done. At Berwick train station the bus stops right by its entrance and it's a small station. Pretty easy. Better to have a car if in that area for several days but for a quick dash as OP wants bus to train is about only option.

I always support a person's decision to take a tour - especially in that area with a paucity of good public transit. I was only pointing options for others reading how easy it is to go between say Melrose and Berick train station to York.

Have read and re-read all your very thoughtful, helpful input. FYI, we will already have spent a week in York, so no need to address that issue. I have come to terms with the fact that if I want to see the coastal area, (Border's and Coast tour with Rabbie's) we will just have to repeat the same path we took when going by train from York to Edinburgh.

What I want to address now is that due to very limited time in Scotland, I've narrowed our tours down to the St.Andrew's tour and the Borders tour (above) with Rabbie's, and the Stirling, Loch Lomond, and Whiskey with Timberline (seems to spend a good amount of time in the Trossachs) or similar one with Rabbie's. Comments on that? I don't recall if touring Stirling Castle is in one of these, but if not, we can do it on our own. I definitely want to go into Doune Castle, so will double check the above tours to be sure it is included. The same goes for Roslyn Chapel, though it will take some doing! There are other tour companies that I can look at if need be.

I still regret not being able to go to Mull, but that was impossible, unless we were to spend no time in Glasgow. We already have our lodging in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

I look forward to your comments and any suggestions you might have. Making Hay (and too little time left to do so!)

Just quick - won't be back for a few hours. But I would highly recommend Rabbies, whichever tour you choose. It will be guaranteed to be a small group and the larger coaches Timberbush uses do limit where you can visit.

This one covers Doune and a ton of gorgeous scenery. https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-...stles-day-tour

I would just to Stirling castle on my own by train from Edinburgh.

Janis, The "Doune….gorgeous scenery"comment was perfect...I'm in. Yes, I'm choosing Rabbies, they seem to have a lot of fun as well as tour gorgeous places efficiently. Now have too many "wants' and too little time, but I'll work it out.

Thank you all.