Barrhead Travel has revealed that a record number of Christmas getaways have been planned.

The travel agency has seen Christmas and New Year sales up almost 20 per cent in bookings for departures across the Christmas and New Year period compared to last year, with cruising and all-inclusive the most popular styles of holiday.

The top destinations for UK travellers include Tenerife, Barbados, Lanzarote, Miami, and Dubai.

In Scotland, late bookings for this winter are already up 15 per cent since 2023, with over a third of new bookings during October for departure that month.

Jacqueline Dobson, president at Barrhead Travel, said: "2024 has been the year of the last-minute getaway with one of the key driving factors being the poor weather that we’ve experienced here in the UK.

"Christmas and New Year are always a popular time for travel but we’re noticing higher than usual volumes for bookings during this period.

"Looking at our top destinations, it’s clear that people are keen to secure some winter sunshine and are maximising their annual leave and school holidays.

"Holidays remain an incredibly important part of people’s lives right now – so our experts are focused on delivering the very best value-for-money and high-quality experiences for our customers."

The successful winter period comes after yet another busy summer for the travel agency, who have already reported a record-breaking year.

So far, they've traded up 12 per cent compared with 2023, which was also a record year for the group.

Barrhead Travel’s retail network is open seven days a week until late and you can find your nearest Barrhead Travel store by visiting https://www.barrheadtravel.co.uk/storelocator.