Gardyloo, JanisJ, Morgana, Bilboburgler, etc.:

Me again. Thank you for all of your help. I've almost got it finalized.

Based on the truly invaluable advice from this forum, (and my wife's desire to see London, as she likes bigger cities while I'm more rustic,) I now have the following schedule:

June 21, 2019 - Arrive London Heathrow.
June 22 - London
June 23 - London
June 24 - Depart London - Train to Edinburgh
June 25 - Edinburgh
June 26 - rent car - depart Edinburgh - Traquair Castle
June 27 Traquair
June 28 - Check out of Traquair, drive to _________
June 29 -__________
June 30 Check out of _________, drive to ________
July 1 - ___________
July 2 - Check out of _____, drive to York
July 3 - York
July 4 - York
July 5 - check out of York, either return car and train to Heathrow, or drive to Heathrow with stops - check into Heathrow Airport hotel
July 6 - Return to United States.

Reservations already made and paid for in London, Edinburgh, Traquair, and York. You may have noticed that there are a few blanks, to wit: Nights of June 28-July 1. The basic plan is to leave Scotland after we check out from Traquair, and go to Northumberland and the Northern part of Yorkshire. We have 4 days. Want to visit Bamburgh and Alnwick castles, Durham, Berwick upon Tweed, Lindisfarne, (Maybe Hadrians Wall, Hexham,) seaside villages in both Northumberland and northern Yorkshire, Possibly Harrogate and/or Ripon, Helmsley, Moors, Dales, I LOVE WATERFALLS, Dales or Moors, whatever.

I'm looking for the best two locations to stay to meet these goals. Remember that I'll have a car in York, so I can go to some of those from York.

Durham University Graduation is July 2-5, so I'd want to visit Durham probably On or around June 28, maybe June 29 before the craziness starts.

What cities/towns would you recommend that we stay in on those 4 nights we have open? We've considered Durham, Alnwick, Bamburgh, Berwick upon Tweed, even as far south as Scarborough, if we should stay there for two nights. I tend to prefer to stay places at least 2 nights, so I'm not always travelling, packing and unpacking, etc.

Any other recommendations on what to do in those areas? Pretty little villages? Waterfalls? Recommendations near Traquair for things we shouldn't miss besides abbeys?

We've pretty much got London, Edinburgh, and York covered, but if there's something in those areas that's wonderful that most people haven't heard of, please let me know.

Thank you! Y'all have been wonderful.

Steve

If not said last time book the London-Edinburgh train early to snag deep discounted fares and there is even an overnight train - National Rail Enquiries - Official source for UK train times and timetables to book you own tickets - www.seat61.com fr help with that - general info Brit Trains - www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

Wonderful trip!

First off the Last day bit: >>July 5 - check out of York, either return car and train to Heathrow, or drive to Heathrow with stops - check into Heathrow Airport hotel<<

There is no train from York to anywhere near LHR. You would have to go into Kings Cross - then tube to LHR, or tube or bus or Taxi to Paddington -- then train to LHR. And then you'd still have to get to your hotel. Since you have all day, I'd simply drive from York to the LHR hotel, drop your bags and then return the car. The straight drive could take as little as 4 hours - but likely longer due to traffic/road works. A detour into the Peak District or to Cambridge would add about 1 hour to the actual drive plus stops of course -- so still totally doable. Stopping at Stamford and / or Rutland Water would add very little time to the drive so would be a little easier diversion.

Now for the hard part -- where to stay. There are MANY good places. I personally would not stay in Berwick on Tweed or Scarborough. I'd consider Alnwick Visiting Holy Island and Bamburgh en route) for the first stop, and maybe Aysgarth in the Dales for the second stop - but visiting Hadrian's Wall and Durham Cathedral on the drive south.. Alnwick > Housesteads > Durham > Aysgarth is about 4 hours 'car time' plus 2 or 3 hours of stops.

Oh . . . And I would cut one night from York and add it to Aysgarth (or wherever in the Dales)-- the Dales are amazing.

Agree with Janis about not staying in Berwick or Scarborough.
As you've probably worked out, Yorkshire is a huge county, divided into different regions. Your list of places in Yorkshire to visit (far too long, but you know that already) all lie in North Yorkshire, so that narrow down your options a little.
It also depends how long you want to be in York itself. It's a compact city and you can see a lot in a day.
If you want to stay somewhere more rural for a night or two I recommend Masham, a small market town in Lower Wensleydale with 2 breweries.
Things to Do in Masham - Visit Masham
From Masham you could take a drive deeper into the Dales, driving past Jervaulx Abbey on the way to visit waterfalls (Aysgarth, Hardraw Force, Redmire for example).
Masham is also within easy reach of the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Watergarden (I live near Masham and work at Fountains).
A longer drive east would take you to the Moors and out to the coast (Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay). Personally I think it would be better to stay in one place and drive a bit longer than have the upheaval of new accommodation.
If you visit Fountains you could easily swing by Ripon (you can see Ripon Cathedral from the Studley Royal Estate).

Hard to add to this but I'll try, but first the strong support. Do not stay in Scarborough or visit it. It really is third rate. Unless you like seeing model boats re-enacting famous WW2 battles in the afternoon. Probably don't bother with Harrogate unless you are passing and need a cup of tea and Betties is calling you.

I might add Bolton Abbey to your possible visits, some fine walking amongst the sheep. The Strid is a nearbye turbulent water flow you might like. Big vote for Masham, eat at the Black Sheep Brewery tour, I used to use it for company lunches and it never let me down.

Stamford is a nice short stay as is Oakham, but Stamford is better and easier to get to. I'd also keep the nights in York, it is a good base with lots of restaurants, walking the old town at night is special. Also it lets you look at some of these below.

As well as all the North Yorkshire visits you might also like the West Yorkshire Sculpture Park (says what it is in the name) but is a big open space with lots of art best reached by car. This is one part of the new Art Triangle which includes the Hepworth in Wakefield ( a famous sculptor) again by car and another in Leeds with the Henry Moore Centre (right in the city centre best reached by train but carparksdo exist, with great shopping and open spaces) plus the Royal Armories (the spill over museum for the Tower of London) train or car, and has to be seen to be believed.

I'd stay the extra night in Durham on the rock, not down in the more mundane hotels by the river.

Top of the head recommendations. It's such a "target-rich" environment that the issue is what to miss rather than what to include...

28 June - Traquair to Holy Island via Abbotsford House, Melrose Abbey, and the Black Bull in Etal (northernmost thatched pub in England.)
29 June - Holy Island to Alnwick via Bamburgh. Take plenty of time to inspect Bamburgh and Alnwick Castles.
30 June - Alnwick to High Force (waterfall, hotel) via Housteads Roman Fort (Hadrian's Wall.)
1 July - High Force to Staithes via Durham
2 July - Staithes to York via Rievaulx and/or Fountains Abbeys

Why:

28 June (Friday) - Rather than backtracking north to Berwick, I'd just follow the Tweed into England, with a couple of stops en route, such as Abbotsford House (Sir Walter Scott's impressive pile) and Melrose Abbey. Plan a late lunch at the Black Bull in Etal, next to the wee ruined Etal Castle, and spend the night on the Holy Island. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/uGsgwkp52L42 . Don't forget to see Rosslyn Chapel and Neidpath Castle on your way to Traquair House. Also note the Holy Island is accessed by a tidal causeway, so you might have to wait. Northumberland County Council

29 June (Saturday) - Spend the day exploring the Holy Island, the incredibly picturesque village of Bamburgh with its amazing castle and beaches, then down to Alnwick with its big castle.

30 June (Sunday) - Head inland to Housteads for its Roman fort and Hadrian's Wall, then, since you said you like waterfalls, continue south to the High Force waterfall, one of the biggest in Britain. Maybe spend the night at the nearby High Force hotel, or continue into Durham. If it was me, I'd probably stay outside Durham (to save money and traffic woes) and do the tour of Durham the next morning.

1 July (Monday) - Visit Durham, then in the afternoon head out to the North York coast, staying the night in picturesque Staithes, or possibly down to Whitby.

2 July (Tuesday) - Continue to York, with possible visits to either or both Rievaulx and Fountains Abbeys. Don't underestimate the time required for this day as it will involve driving around the North York Moors National Park, and, of course the visits to the abbeys (and gardens adjacent to Fountains Abbey) can be quite time consuming. You might even consider spending that night in Knaresborough, with its impressive river gorge and very pretty medieval streets. From Knaresborough it's a very quick ride into York on the morning of the 3rd.

Here's a map showing these places (ending in Knaresborough) which I'd use as a launchpad for further study. Don't dally in making hotel bookings, however; this is a very popular area in the summer, particularly in Durham, York, and along the Yorkshire coast. https://goo.gl/maps/yXu9e5uFrMF2

Knaresborough, hmm. Not so sure but each to their own, worth researching.

I'm not a Knaresborough fan either. When we lived in Harrogate I'd often take the children, especially on market day. But these days there are too many empty shops. The large retail park on the outskirts hasn't helped.

Now for the hard part -- where to stay. There are MANY good places. I personally would not stay in Berwick on Tweed or Scarborough>

Berwick on Tweed is one of the more fascinating towns I've stayed in - very unique with old fortifications and new ones still used - nice old town with few American tourists.

Well it's been a while since I was in Knaresborough, so I'll defer to more recent visitors. I was just suggesting that the OP consider staying outside of York the night before, depending on car/lodging choices. Obviously a car IN York is a liability.

You have all been wonderful. Based upon your info, I've learned a lot and narrowed the field, but still have a few questions.

I will stop in Etal. I will make my train reservations quickly from London to Edinburgh. I will return the car that I rent in Edinburgh at Heathrow. I will visit the two abbeys. I'm only going to visit Durham for a few hours, because I've realized I'm too ambitious on places to visit. I will try and fit in the Settle-Carlisle RR. I will visit Lindisfarne and make sure that I watch the tides so I can leave. I'm not going to Scarborough at all.

I need to finalize quickly where I'm going to stay. I've decided that after I check out of Traquair, I'll spend two nights in Bamburgh, Alnwick, or Seahouses, and then spend two nights in the Dales.

I can find this on my own, but if there are any recommendations on the Bamburgh/Alnwick/Seahouses stop, that would be great. As I said, I can find this.

The bigger problem is the Dales. There appear to be an incredible number of places to stay. I need help picking.

I've said that I like waterfalls. I also like streams, rivers, other places where I can sit and listen to water. I should have added that I'm 60, not in terrific shape, and can't do what I did 20 years ago. I can walk miles on relatively flat ground, and do moderate walks, but when I looked at the Waterfall trail in Ingleton it was listed as strenuous, which is probably more than I want to do.

On a prior trip to Scotland, I stayed for a week in Dunkeld, which was close to perfect, small, river, but big enough that there were things to do there, and close to other places with things to do. We're looking for places in the Dales that have shopping in the villages, perhaps walking to dinner or walking around villages, etc.

One option that seems larger than I was looking for but seems to offer a lot is Skipton, which seems to be on the edge if the Dales. Aysgarth/West Burton seems lovely. I don't drink beer so Masham moves down a bit (I drink Scotch and my wife and i both drink Hard Cider). However, we've also looked at (in no particular order) Kirkby Lonsdale, Hawes, Thornton Dale, Burnsall, Ingleton, Leyburn, Middleham, and Dent. Maybe Castle Bolton or Ripon, although they don't seem to be in the Dales but close. I'm open to other recommendations as well.

Thank you again.

Skipton calls itself the Gateway to the Dales - it is a busy, bustling place and not a particular favourite of mine to be honest. Looking at what you are after I think it is too busy and bustling - I think you are better off in a smaller Dales town (or large village).
Ripon is a small city a few miles outside the Dales area.
Some of the places you list are small villages which might not have the range of facilities you require. My own small village in Wensleydale has a pub and that's absolutely it - I have a 9 mile round trip to buy a loaf of bread or a newspaper!
Don't dismiss Masham just because you don't drink beer! It has good road links, is surrounded by beautiful countryside and has a range of shops, pubs and restaurants (plus a small market on Wednesday and Saturday).
I also think you should look at Pateley Bridge, a really nice place in Nidderdale. Like Masham it has shops and eating places, and has an old fashioned (in a good way) air about it. Great walks again in all directions.
Pateley Bridge | Small Market Town in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire
Pateley and Masham both have small Community Offices with walking routes, leaflets etc (and informative staff!).
Hawes is much more touristy - you are just about avoiding the peak period (school holidays start mid July) but it's a very busy place.
Middleham and Leyburn would also work for you. Middleham doesn't have much in the way of facilities, but Leyburn does.
Castle Bolton is definitely in the Dales but is just a small and quite isolated village - no shops!
Assume you are looking for a B&B?
I did the Ingleton Trail with my children when they were quite young, and would struggle to call it strenuous but it is quite uneven and you'll need decent walking shoes, especially after rain.

In British English there is no "hard" cider, only apple brandy, cider( 4 to 8%) and apple juice. There are also various fruit additions added for the kids' palettes.

Masham (Pron "Maz ham" BTW not Mash am) would look good to me as a base. I worked there for a couple of years and I live in Otley (not quite as a good a base but just about possible), Skipton, fair enough but a bit too tatty for me. Pateley Bridge and other villages along that ribbon development are good but lack services, Malham is lovely but not really on the main road anywhere.

Morgana's more northerly suggestions are good too.

Oh just to be clear Castle Bolton, Bolton Abbey and Bolton are all different places. Only the first two are in god's country.

Found the pub with rooms in Aysgarth -- its the George & Dragon.

The B&B I stayed there had lovely grounds, gorgeous views. and large rooms -- the owner was a bit . . . eccentric Note: Just looked at the website and it looks like there is new ownership and the rooms have been freshened up a LOT. My guess is the eccentricity quotient has changed. https://www.stowhouse.co.uk

Glad Morgana posted -- lots of good info there. I'd like Masham as a base -

Bilboburgler:

I was referring to the 4-8% cider. The first alcoholic cider I ever had was Woodpecker, 30 or 40 years ago. I've also had Bulmers, Strongbow, Blackthorn and Thatchers. Primarily drink Scotch, but I drink the cider as a beer-alternative.

>>I was referring to the 4-8% cider<<

Bilboburgler's point was mainly (not to put words in his mouth) that is not 'hard cider' in the UK. It is JUST 'cider'. Order cider and that is what you get - it is an alcoholic beverage.

janisj knows me so well, there is only "cider" in our langauge the adjective is not required or understood.