The Leopard Man of Skye has given up his remote hermit lifestyle to live in a retirement home.



Tom Leppard, whose entire body is covered in leopard-spot tattoos, lived in a ruined bothy on the Scottish island of Skye for 20 years, with no electricity or furniture.

The Leopard Man, who spent £5,500 on tattoos, used to have to canoe three miles for his weekly shopping, but he has now moved from his remote stretch of shoreline near Kyleakin after admitting he's getting too old at 73.

Mr Leppard, an ex-special forces soldier, told the Daily Telegraph: "I was perfectly happy in the bothy but I'm like everyone else - I'm getting too old for that kind of life.

"I had to canoe to Kyle once a week for shopping and it was getting too hard for me - I was one big wave away from disaster. It's a pretty nasty stretch of water.

"About six weeks ago a friend with a boat offered to take me off and I just decided there and then to go."

Mr Leppard, originally from London, held the title of world's most tattooed man until recently, when he was overtaken by Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand.

He said: "I've loved every minute and when you're covered in leopard tattoos you certainly get noticed - I became a bit of a tourist attraction on Skye.

"But all I want now is peace and quiet and just to relax a bit more. I can walk to the local shop instead of canoeing.

"I might go back to the bothy one day for a look around if somebody offered me a lift but it would be just out of curiosity - those days are behind me now."

-Ananova