James Smith can still remember the moment he opened his front door to the little boy who would change his life.

It was shortly before Christmas and four-year-old Samuel was standing in front of him, not much higher than his knee, eyes wide with excitement.

The social worker had called James and his partner, Neil, the night before.

They were on a list of emergency foster parents, a couple who had looked after many children in Scotland over the years in need of a safe place to stay.

Samuel was the latest one, a small boy in urgent need of a room for a few days and kind people to care for him.

"He was just this wee boy," recalls James. "Full of energy, excited to see us and meet us."

The Smiths had already prepared his own room for him. Even though he was only meant to stay with them for a few days, they ran out and got him the clothes he needed.

A few days soon turned into a few weeks, Christmas came and Samuel was there with them.

They had trees heavy with baubles, presents from Santa - a big roast dinner with all the family.

"It was absolutely perfect," says James. "It was as if he'd always been there."

Almost overnight, without meaning too, Samuel had wriggled into both their hearts.

Samuel's social workers noticed it, too. It didn't take long for the conversation to come up.

"They asked us if we would consider adopting Samuel," says James, 39, who is chief executive of the charity and outdoor learning centre @Hillhead.

"I remember, Neil and I just looked at each other and said 'of course'. Why would you send him anywhere else?"

In 2009, access to adoption had been widened by Holyrood decree to include gay and lesbian couples. 

James and Neil, with the support of Glasgow City Council, became one of the first gay couples to adopt in Scotland.

Not that the title meant all that much to little Samuel. To him, it was just the final decree that let him stay with the dads he loved.

Life at the Smith house is as open as possible. Family discussions take place at the dinner table if anyone has any concerns or if something of great import needs to be discussed.

One of the first big conversations was driven by Samuel, for example, when a very important decision regarding his room needed to be made.

"One day he called us in and said he felt ready to have a grown-up bedroom and paint it black to make it a Batman room," says James.

The family compromised and painted it yellow. And Santa delivered an extra big Batman toy for Christmas that year.

"We're really big on being able to speak your own mind," says James.

"We agree that children need to be heard."

Samuel is now an energetic 10-year-old who loves WWE wrestling on the trampoline and is a "fabulous drawer", according to his proud dads.

"He keeps growing so fast. He's going through denims at an alarming rate," says James.

Samuel understands what happened in his past and knows why he is with his two new dads.

"We've never hid anything from him and I think that's helped," says James.

"We have a memory box of his past because there will come a day when he comes to us and asks where he came from. I don't know how I'll feel on that day.

"I hope because we've been so open it will be easier for him."

As gay parents of an adopted child, James and Neil now also actively back national campaigns to encourage other gay couples to consider adoption too, particularly in the Glasgow area, which has the highest number of children looking to be adopted.

"I think not enough people know that they can adopt," says James, who is an ambassador for Families for Children Adoption.

"You might think you don't have the right amount of money or the right house but if you can be what that child needs then there is help and support there for you to make it work."

James also says that being a gay couple can help in other ways when adopting a young person.

"Many of the children are dealing with complicated issues and have been through a lot," he says.

"Being gay, well I guess sometimes you are able to understand things like that a little bit, too."

During the adoption process, prospective parents are asked detailed questions over which child they can offer a home too, particularly whether or not they could cope with a disabled child.

James and Neil had to consider all of these carefully too, whether or not they could take on a deaf child for example or a child on the autism spectrum.

"A child can come with anything, you just don't know," says James.

"Samuel has a sight problem. A lot of people wouldn't notice it. We've adapted our lifestyle and our house for him.

"It didn't make any difference to us. That's what any other parent would do.

"That's part of his life which is part of our life."

The latest figures show there were 13,875 children in some form of care last year across Scotland, with 264 of them with prospective adoptive families.

Glasgow City Council's adoption body Families For Children approved 50 prospective parents last year, meeting its annual target.

Its rules state anyone wishing to adopt a child up to the age of four must be aged 45 or under, although this only applies to the younger member of a couple if two people apply together.

There is no discrimination on grounds of sex, marital status, gender or race, and now that all relevant legislation is in place it takes around six months for prospective adopters to work their way through the system.

James and Neil - and especially Samuel - say it's absolutely worth it.

"He's absolutely fabulous, he really, really is," says James.

"I was looking at him the other day and he was using his hands while he was speaking, just like I do.

"I get a lump in my throat when I see him and I can't believe how lucky we are.

"We've got this perfect boy, this beautiful son."

Anyone looking for more information on adoption can contact Foster Glasgow 0345 276 5555.