I don’t think you can end at Mt. Doom, but I also agree that the ending plods on too long. Part of the problem, in my view, is too... much... slooooow... moooootiooooon. Lots of scenes of hugging and kissing and actors standing around with big grins on their faces, and not enough trust in the story to let the characters breathe and show how what has happened has affected them.
I think things could have been considerably sped up and more information conveyed by use of the voice-over device, with Sam doing the narration. Since the trilogy begins with a lengthy voice-over, I think ending it with some of the same would have been appropriate. Having Sam do the talking would give an opportunity to show some maturation there.
If you stipulate that there’s no room for the Scouring of the Shire, I think there’s still at least one thing you need to do with the ending, namely, to show that Frodo has been wounded beyond hope of healing in Middle-earth. And I’m not just talking about that Morgul-knife wound.
The problem with the scenes as they are is that they don't show that although the Shire is unchanged (in the movies, of course), Frodo has changed. Now it’s like, “Enhhh. My arm still hurts. I have to sail away.” I think scenes where Frodo was not his old self and a watchful Sam noticed it would have led to a more logical and effective climax at the Grey Havens.
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