 In the 2001 census this had dropped to 24 per cent, which, while a low figure overall, nonetheless made it the most strongly Gaelic-speaking island in Argyll and Bute after Tiree, with the highest percentage recorded in Portnahaven (32 per cent) and the lowest in Gortontaoid (17 per cent), with the far north and south of the island being the weakest areas in general.The Islay dialect is distinctive.It patterns strongly with other Argyll dialects, especially those of Jura, Colonsay and Kintyre.