A year can feel like a long time to wait for a birthday to come around.

How would you feel if you had to wait four years every time you wanted a slice of birthday cake?

Gary Docherty, an Admin Manager from Bellshill, has today officially turned 8.

He told the Glasgow Times: “This year, I am going to be 8. I’m excited about my birthday because this year I'll have a real birthday and can stretch out the celebrations to last over three days.

He's been around for the last thirty-two years, but having a birthday that falls on the 29th of February has allowed Gary the time to work out his own unique approach to birthday celebrations.

“Every other year I have my birthday on the 28th of February and the 1st of March, and I make sure it lasts two days. On the years that the 29th comes around, I make sure it lasts the three days.”

Glasgow Times:

READ MORE: Why do we have a leap year? The reason behind your 'extra' day

A person born on February 29th can be called a 'leapling' or a 'leaper'. “On my 5th birthday my friends and I went out dressed as school children, wearing school uniforms because you’re five when you start school” explained Gary.

As turning 8 means that he is in the prime of his youth, Gary will be taking this year's party to the ultimate party destination – Las Vegas.

Being a leapling can be quite confusing for some. The law allows that someone born on February 29th will turn 18 on the 1st of March on their eighteenth year.

“Having a leap year birthday doesn’t really affect my life other than having to explain to people I'm not winding them up, and I genuinely do have a birthday on the 29th of February” said Gary. “That's probably the worst part. It’s a conversation starter, nothing else.”

Glasgow Times:

“My advice for anyone else born on a leap year is that when your birthday comes around, stretch it out.

“It’s not very often someone is born on a day that only comes around every four years – you may as well make it last.”

Many leaplings must be alive for a whopping 8 decades before they are legally allowed to drink, but Gary isn't worried about getting ID'd.

“I won't hit legal age to drink until I'm 72. My gran always tells me I'm the boy that will never grow old. I suppose it's easy to act your age when you're only 8.”