OK, with the help of so many of you. I've got my itinerary pretty much finalized. All hotel/BB/Castles are done. I have minor flexibility and want opinions from experts if there's anything in here that you'd change, or can help by answering a few questions in underlined bfc.

• Arrive in London crack of dawn Friday June 21. Car service to hotel. In London for 3 1/2 days. Victoria and Albert, Afternoon Tea (booked) , Borough Market, Portobello Road Market (my wife's an antique fan, Note I carefully didn't call her an antique.) Imperial War Museum. Maybe Double-Decker bus. Eat at a few pubs, good Chinese one night. Not all on first day. Open to additional suggestions.
• Saturday June 22 London.
• Sunday June 23 London.
• Monday June 24 Check out of London hotel. Breakfast, repack, etc. Get to Kings Cross a couple of hours before LNER train to Edinburgh. Arrive in Edinburgh early evening. Cab to hotel. Dinner
• Tuesday Edinburgh June 25 Walk Royal Mile - visit Hollyrood. Maybe National Museum of Scotland and/or Museum of Edinburgh? Mary King's close? Afternoon Tea (already booked). Dinner.
• Wednesday, June 26 Check out of Edinburgh hotel - Rent car around noon. Drive (about 1 hour) to Traquair house. Any suggestions on anywhere to stop on way? probable dinner in Peebles, look around Peebles.
• Thursday, June 27. Traquair House - visit Abbotsford House in Melrose, Floors Castle in Kelso, Look around towns of Melrose and Kelso. Help in picking two abbeys between Melrose, Jedburgh, Dryburgh, and Kelso.
• Friday, June 28. Check out of Traquair House. Ambitious day. Drive to Etal to visit Black Bull Pub for a drink or lunch (76 minutes). Drive to Berwick Upon Tweed (17 minutes). Might go to Berwick upon Tweed first. Eat there if not at Etal. Drive to Lindisfarne (20 minutes, can only cross between 1400 and 2100.) . Top suggestions for Holy Isle? Drive to Alnwick (35 minutes) for night.
• Saturday, June 29. Alnwick. Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Castle. Alnwick Market (9:00-16:00) Maybe Alnwick Gardens. Look around Alnwick and Bamburgh..
• Sunday, June 30. Check out of Alnwick. Another ambitious day. Travel from Alnwick to Leyburn. Stop in Hexham (one hour drive) shambles market, Old Jail, yet another abbey, Galleries/shopping, Vindolanda? Probably too ambitious to try and fit in Houseteads. Hexham to Durham (45 minute Drive). Durham Cathedral (can I get in on a Sunday?) Durham Castle, Durham university. Maybe Beamish, but may take too long. Durham to Leyburn 55 minute drive.
• Monday, July 1. Leyburn. Waterfalls . Yayyy! (Cautly spout. Ingleton waterfall trails, etc.). Visit small towns. Hawes? Skipton Castle? The Station-Richmand? The Green Dragon? I can't visit waterfalls all day. I'll get soggy. Which towns should I look at with Leyburn as my home base?
• Tuesday, July 2 - Check out of Leyburn - go to York. 1 hour drive. Make any stops on way, or spend more time in York?Stop in Harrogate, Ripon, Bolton Abbey. Pately Bridge?
• Wednesday, July 3. York. Shambles. York Minster. Jorvik Viking Center. National Railway Museum? cold war bunker. Doubkle decker bus? Richard III or Henry VII? Afternoon Tea or breakfast at Betty's. Too many things to choose from. Most of the attractions close at 4:00. Dinner somewhere.
• Thursday, July 4. York. I assume that's not celebrated as a National Holiday in Great Britain. Castle Howard, Malton, Whitby and Robin Hood Bay. Is there any reason I need to try to make time to see Leeds?
• Friday July 5. Check out of York. Maybe do something in Morning. Current plans are to stop in Newark on Trent to look around pretty town and let wife antique (1.5 hour drive from York to Newark OT), then stop in Stamford (45 minute drive from NOT), look around pretty town, then drive Stamford to Heathrow airport. (2 hours) Drop off luggage at Airport Hotel, return car. sleep. We were going to stop at Stratford Upon Avon, but there's a festival that weekend which will fill the entire town beyond the usual summer crush, and I don't like crowds. Any different suggestions than NOT and Stamford?
• Saturday, July 7. Arrive at terminal around 9:00 for flight around noon. Spend all day flying. Return home in need of another, more restful vacation.
• Any final suggestions?

As you can see from the itinerary, I listened closely. Thank you all for your time and help. If I survive the trip, I'll try and post about it. Thanks again.

• >>Maybe Double-Decker bus<<.

Skip the H-o-H-o bus if that is what you mean by a double decker bus. The tours are slow, expensive and you spend most of the time stalled in traffic. (If you just meant regular TFL city buses - sure. Often buses are better than the tube)

• >> Get to Kings Cross a couple of hours before LNER train to Edinburgh. <<.

Absolutely NO reason to be at Kings Cross that early. 15 mins is plenty.

• Between Edinburgh and Traquair you can easily stop at Rosslyn Chapel -- it is right on the way. as for the Abbeys - Kelso is the least interesting -- nothing wrong with it, but it is really just a park in the middle of the town. Melrose and Dryburgh are less than 7 miles apart and then it is another 20 miles to Jedburgh -- so you very likely could fit in all three.

Just a quick note -- I'll have to read the rest of your plan after dinner -- but It does look like you are underestimating your drive times a bit. for instance you posted '76 mins' Traquair to Etal sounds like you took that from google map or similar. Count on a minimum of 90 minutes. Same with Edinburgh to Traquair --from central Edinburgh again count on about 90 mins - or if you rent the car out at EDI slightly less.

OK -- I've skimmed the rest but still ned to read in detail. For sure you are using optimistic drive times. Just about every one will be 25%-50% longer. Stamford to LHR for example will be 2 hours if there are no other cars on the road and there is no construction - neither of which is likely to be the case . On a Friday afternoon I'd give it 3 hours and be thrilled if it wasn't longer. That whole day York to Newark on Trent to Stamford to LHR will probably take 5 hours plus stops. . . . absolutely no time for Leeds.

. . . And I'd forget about detouring through Berwick on Tweed. I WOULD however visit Bamburgh on Friday and not try to fit it in with Alnwick. Car time Traquair > Etal > Holy Island > Bamburgh > Alnwick will take about 3 hours total maybe a skosh longer. So visiting Lindesfarne and Bamburgh Castle are totally doable. I'd plan on staying on the island about 2 hours.

Alnwick Castle/Gardens/town will totally fill your Saturday with no time left for Bamburgh. At Alnwick -- eat lunch in the Treehouse.

So . . . go back through your itinerary and pad all the drive times and see where you might want to trim a bit.

JanisJ, you wonderful person who devotes so much of your time to helping others:

Correct. All of my estimated drive times came directly off of Google Maps. Don't believe it, huh?

Take a pass on Berwick on Tweed? Any other advice/comments?

Thank you so much.

Senator Steve

>>JanisJ, you wonderful person <<

<Blush font on> -- thanks. Appreciate it. <Blush font off>

>>Correct. All of my estimated drive times came directly off of Google Maps. Don't believe it, huh?<<

Don't believe them -- google map is evil . And if by a miracle you make one of those times, consider it a big bonus. Even British Caicos who used to pooh pooh my dire warnings re drive times has finally come around after he had a dreadful drive home through the Midlands. (and IF you think I'm just some timid, only-drive-to-church on Sundays, little old lady . . . click on my profile -- that's me and I LOVE driving fast). But IME none of the on line calculators are accurate for the UK. With the narrow roads, sheep on the roads, construction, caravans (travel trailers) and congestion -- - just add time.

Portobello Road on Saturdays gets very crowded. Friday is better; not as many market stalls, but the antique shops and arcades are open. If you walk all the way to Golborne Road; that's a quirky road with some interesting antique shops and some good restaurants. Kensington Church Street, on the other side of Notting Hill Gate, has the posher antique shops.

1) on the first day, get out to a park and walk around, otherwise you will conk out early
2) as Janisj says Google is way off
3) Masham is a good option from Leyburn
4) Leeds offers a few things of interest. The Royal Armouries is there, the Central Art Gallery with the Moore Gallery attached is worth a drop by and south of Leeds you have the West Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Hepworth Gallery both of which are world-leading. Otherwise, it is yet more shopping. A massive covered market and a corn exchange with a lovely old roof.
5) July the 4th, no nothing happened. The 14th is probably more important. 7th July was a nasty Tube attack.
6) Have fun over at Robin Hoods Bay etc, a long dull drive to a small place. I'd not put it on my "must haves list" but each to their own.

I would just check out the World Heritage Unesco sites in the UK and see what you missed out. Saltaire stands out.

I don't have a lot to say except the timetable is rather "brittle" in that delays will become cumulative on some days, and might result in you having to skip places or rushing through them with no time to recover. It's a good thing that you'll be there during the longest days of the year (daylight) because on a couple of days, you're going to need it.

You say your accommodations are booked, so maybe there are no changes possible at this time, but in the event things might be slightly flexible, here are some - very subjective and personal - changes in plan that I'd investigate. If you can't change things, fine, you'll be okay.

28 June (Friday - Traquair - Etal - Lindisfarne - Alnwick.) This needn't be a very hard day; while Google is optimistic, it's not wrong on distances, only times. Re the Black Bull: its website is still awful, and it's unclear whether there are mid-day meals offered, or just bar snacks. (It's gone through a series of owners in recent years.) If you bypass Berwick, you shouldn't have any difficulty in reaching Lindisfarne as soon as the causeway is open. As for what to do on the Holy Island, well, have a look at the ruined priory and maybe walk toward the castle. (It's one of those castles that looks impressive from outside, but inside... meh.) But if it was me, I wouldn't spend a lot of time there (there will be a LOT of fellow tourists) but instead head back to the mainland and head for Bamburgh. I'd spend the bulk of the afternoon in Bamburgh, which, for my money, is the highlight of that part of the coast, and only head into Alnwick in time for dinner and bed.

29 June (Saturday - Alnwick - Bamburgh - Alnwick) and 30 June (Sunday - Alnwick - Hexam - Durham - Leyburn). Here's where I would make some significant changes (just me, YMMV.) First, while I'm quite fond of Alnwick (worked there for a short time) I confess I don't think it's worth a whole day (or more.) The castle is terrific, it will be inundated with small children in Gryffindor regalia. I'd give Alnwick Saturday morning, but then I'd continue south. I'd head to Durham from Alnwick, and spend Saturday night there instead (if at all possible.) The reason for this is that it would give you more time on Sunday to move around the North Pennines and down to the Yorkshire Dales, which would put you back on schedule with Sunday night at Leyburn. I'd be gone from Durham by mid-day, due to the same shoals of tourists that will be marching up the hill to the castle and cathedral. It's a fabulous walk in the evening or early morning, less so when the crowds are present. Head east then south, maybe with a stop at the High Force waterfalls, or just motor around the (probably heather-covered) hills. Come at Leyburn from the west. (Imaginary map just to illustrate - https://goo.gl/maps/bkR5GpNSo8NSRtYt5 .)

From then on, I'd just meander around the countryside. You might consider heading out to the coast at some point. Again, full of folk, but Staithes and Whitby are justly famous for their beauty, and you could possibly enter York via the North York Moors rather than from the west. Just some thoughts.

You'll have a great time, regardless.

Re Alnwick -- the Castle alone will take the full morning - whether you need more time there depends entirely if you want to visit the modern Gardens, eat in the Treehouse, and walk around the town, visit the wonderful Barter Books, etc. There is a lot of walking involved Castle/Gardens/Town. BUT if you are really only interested in the Castle then 2+ hours there and then consider Gardyloo's modification. (There is a LOT to the Caste that has nothing to do with Harry Potter and most of the kids will be involved with specific activities aimed at them -- easy to avoid the broomstick flying lessons and Dragon Quest. It is a magnificent Medieval castle and still a family home.)

Since you asked about which of the four Borders abbeys: I'd vote for Melrose as top priority (it's large, several buildings to wander through and grounds to walk around). Jedburgh is smaller but interesting. Not nearly as much to see or wander around at Kelso.

My take on the Border Abbeys:
Largest with lots to interest -- Melrose (look for the bagpiping pig gargoyle)
Best setting/atmosphere -- Dryburgh
Most interesting Bldg by itself -- Jedburgh.

But like I mentioned they ca be fit into the same day.

If you want to visit Abbotsford and/or other Border attractions and need to limit yourselves, then I'd do Melrose/Dryburgh simply because they are so near each other.

Thank you all. Keep the replies coming.

To be clear about Alnwick castle, I'm not a Gryffindor. Maybe a Slytherin, probably a Ravenclaw.

Gardyloo- I can't change my sleeping accommodations,

I'll limit time in Lindisfarne, and hit Bamburgh that day.

Thank you for advice on Dales Waterfalls. I'm open to more.

I'll try to visit Middham, Masham, and West Witton.

I'll go to Fountains Abbey. Jeveraulx would be abbey #5 or 6. Won't I get tired of Abbey's by then?

Should I skip Robin Hood's Bay?

Can I get into Durham Cathedral on a Sunday?

Your thoughts on the Hexham portion?

I think I'll skip Leeds. There's so much to see in York, it's hard to prioritize. Any thoughts?

I've heard lot's of complaints about Google. Bad for Democracy here. Bad for privacy. I didn't realize that their map info was this evil.

One additional question. I know that our President isn't very popular over there (or most other places). Do I need to wear a "don't blame me, I voted for Her" button?

Thanks again. This really is an amazing group of helpful people, especially the stalwarts like JanisJ, Gardyloo, Bilboburgler, Morgana, etc.

We do a lot of American road trips staying in B&Bs. On many occasions we have been greeted with 'please can I apologise for our President'!

You can never have too many Abbeys, and they are all different.
Fountains has SO much more than the Abbey ruins and the Estate needs half a day to do it justice.
Whereas Jervaulx is tucked away, has no flashy visitor centre, one small information board, is in private hands, smothered in wild flowers and all gently crumbling.
The 'main' route into Wensleydale goes right past it, so you could visit easily in an hour. It's very atmospheric and haunted of course (one evening at dusk, visiting with my husband, I seriously spooked myself there, but that's another story). Entry fee by honesty box, car park immediately across the road from the Abbey entrance, well signed.

I worked in Leeds for many years - it's a lively, vibrant city with excellent shopping, a great nightlife and some superb restaurants. However, I'm not really sure where it fits into your plans.

I think Castle Howard and Whitby will be ample for a day. Evenings will be long and light - drive to RHB if you have the energy and walk down the hill to the sea. But don't lose any sleep if you don't get there.

Yes you can get into Durham cathedral on a Sunday though there will be services.

https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/vi.../opening-times

Hexham is a pleasant town but it’s not a must see- depends on how keen you are to see the abbey. I’d spend more time at Hadrian’s Wall. It’s a pity you're not visiting Cragside at Rothbury. Beamish is a full day.

No boat trip to the Farne Islands?

sofarsogood -

When would you suggest I go to the Farne Islands? What should I leave out to go there? My schedule is still flexible, except for lodging, train, and the two Afternoon Tea's I've booked and paid for.

Thanks Morgana. Add my name to the list of apologies.

On the Friday drive from Traquair to Seahouses and do a boat trip to the Farne Islands (it’s weather dependant so if it’s blowing a hooley you might reconsider). It’s a Friday so get some fish and chips for lunch and eat them overlooking the harbour. In the afternoon visit Bamburgh Castle and Holy Island.