Paul McCartney has revealed he has made an album of carols – but only his family are allowed to listen to it.

The former Beatle, 77, recorded it at his home studio after struggling to find good Christmas songs. He says he will never release the tracks.

‘Years ago I thought there’s not very good Christmas records,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s World At One on Thursday. ‘I like something traditional and simple and easy so I went into my studio and I made one.

Secret record: Paul McCartney (pictured in July) has revealed he has made an album of carols – but only his family are allowed to listen to it

‘This has not been released it’s just for the family. It gets brought out each year.

‘The kids like it and it’s kind of traditional and now it’s the grandkids getting indoctrinated with my carols record. Then there’s the booze... It’s all very jolly.’

McCartney, who has five children and eight grandchildren, had a festive hit in 1979 with Wonderful Christmastime, which reached No.8 in the Irish charts.

He also spoke in the interview of how he is traditional when it comes to Christmas dinner – although, of course, it must be vegetarian.

Intimate: The Beatle, 77, recorded it at his home studio after struggling to find good Christmas songs. He says he will never release the tracks (pictured with Mary, 50, and Stella, 48, in 2014)

He recalled how his late wife Linda used to make a ‘macaroni turkey’ – chilling macaroni cheese into a hard mass before frying it – so he had something to carve. Now his family gets a vegetarian roast.

‘When we first came down to London from Liverpool there was one restaurant called Cranks, which gives you the idea of how people thought of veggies,’ he said.

‘Linda and I were on a farm and there were lambs in the field and we were eating a leg of lamb and we didn’t make the connection and suddenly we went “Oh” and the light bulb went off and we said, “Should we do something about this?” ’

McCartney is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his Meat Free Monday initiative, which he has rolled out across UK schools.

‘The idea was if we don’t preach and we don’t push, people will do it and then think, “Oh that’s not so bad,” ’ he said. ‘I did love the smell of bacon. It’s not that I don’t like the smell. I just don’t want to eat it. I’m just not interested.

‘There’s these little creatures and I want to give them a shot at living.’

McCartney will headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival next year, a gig he will prepare for by playing ten concerts ‘to get up to speed’.

Unconventional: He also spoke in the interview of how he is traditional when it comes to Christmas dinner – although, of course, it must be vegetarian (pictured in 2017)

Festive tradition: The vegetarian recalled how his late wife Linda used to make a ‘macaroni turkey’ so he had something to carve (pictured in 1989)

‘You don’t get an athlete just coming into the Olympics not having done a few races beforehand,’ he said. ‘The idea is by the time I get to Glastonbury it’ll just be just like another gig. But of course it won’t be, because it’s very special.’

Former headliners Coldplay recently voiced plans to not tour their latest album over climate change fears.

McCartney said he tries to offset his carbon footprint from touring by planting trees.

‘I am aware of it, but it is very difficult if you’re going to tour,’ he said. ‘It’s a reality and you have to plant a lot of trees. That’s how I offset it.’