The front of the search is free. You can tell it that you want Kermit MacMuppet, born Bass Rock in 1876-1877, and it will tell you how many Kermit MacMuppets there are that agree with your requirements. It's quite useful for elimination purposes - for example, to see whether someone was born in one parish or another or not, but if you want more info, then you have to pay for it. They have to pay for the staff, computers, etc.

Compared with other sites, it's reasonably cheap (£7 gets you 30 credits, a screen page of "index" results costs you 1 credit, and a birth, marriage or death certificate costs 5. If you hit the correct person first time, to find and download any BMD certificate or census page will cost you £1-40p. An English BMorD cert will cost you £9-25p from GRO AND you'll have to wait to get it in the post.

If you want a lot of certificates, the cheapest way it to treat yourself to a day in Edinburgh, and pay the day-entry fee at the Scotlands people centre. this gives you unlimited access to everything on their database, including stuff that's too modern to be online. You only pay for any printing you do, plus the delightful cake in the cafe. From now on, I'm planning to leave my car at Galashiels and get the new Borders Railway into Edinburgh - MUCH better than trying to park in the city!