After 20 years as a hermit, the "Leopard Man of Skye" has swapped his isolated island bothy for the less savage conditions of a sheltered housing apartment on the mainland.

Known until two years ago as the most tattooed man in the world, Tom Leppard spent 28 years in the special forces before he decided to cover 99.2 per cent of his body in leopard print patterns, a design he chose for its simplicity rather than any particular symbolism.

Since then he has lived alone on an otherwise uninhabited island off the coast of Skye, sleeping on a polystyrene board in a windowless cottage, and cooking his meals on a small camping stove.

But Mr Leppard has now decided that, at 73 years old the three mile weekly commute by canoe to mainland Kyle for supplies—often in poor weather conditions—has got the better of him. Mr Leppard said that he was “getting too old for that kind of life,” and has relocated to the Scottish village of Broadford.

Mr Leppard, who changed his name by deed poll from Woodbridge after his famous tattoo was completed, spent £5,500 on his body art, considering it an investment which could enable him to leave his oppressive city lifestyle behind.

Speaking of his somewhat unusual work-life balance, Mr Leppard told The Guardian: “I would get an income from being the most tattooed man in the world, and would be photographed for the Guinness Book of Records, or featured on TV. I had a spare set of dentures, shaped like fangs, that I’d put in for the publicity shots. But it was a necessary evil to supplement my income support, or latterly my pension. It’s not something I enjoyed.”

The majority of people who have mimicked the animal kingdom and, in doing so, could be considered Mr Leppard’s peers have usually chosen to more openly flaunt themselves for the amusement of others.

Lizard Man, who sports bony ridges on his skull, has opened shows for bands Slipknot and Godsmack in the US.

But while experiencing a warm welcome from audiences receptive to counter-culture free spirits, not everyone has been so tolerant. One tale he recalls is of a small girl remarking, "Daddy, look at that man!" to which the family’s driver responded, "Oh, he wouldn’t be from here…"

However, mid-west America is not analogous to a Scottish community, and Mr Leppard admits that while he became “a bit of a tourist attraction,” he hasn’t had much difficulty being accepted by the locals.

Nevertheless, he’s content to keep himself to himself for the time being, rejecting modern conveniences such as a telephone or radio, and opting instead to reread the history books that kept him company over the past two decades. That, and to sleep on a comfortable mattress.