Ancient Scottish clothing

[kilted2000]

I’ve been rereading some Icelandic Sagas and I came across this. The context is Leif Eirikson and his crew have reached North America and they want to explore so they use two fleet footed Scots.
Does anyone know what garment is being talked about? The Sagas aren’t always completely accurate so maybe this is an example.
Eirik the Red’s Saga:
“After sailing the length of the Furdustrandir, they put the two Scots ashore and told them to run southwards to explore the country and return before three days' time had elapsed. They were dressed in a garment known as a kjafal, which had a hood at the top but no arms, and was open at the sides and fastened between the legs with a button and loop; they wore nothing else.”

[Pleater]

I suspect it is a kagoule like garment made from an animal skin, perhaps a deer or a sheep.
The hood is formed using skin from the legs of the animal joined to the neck opening, there are no sleeves but the arms can be drawn inside and the skin pulled around - the skin from the animal's forelegs would have been cut away leaving a front facing opening.

The lower part, the hind end of the animal could have been peeled off to form a skirt with a front flap held in place by the loop and button - a feature of later tunics and shirts I believe, but the slits made by the removal of the hind legs of the animal allowing free movement for the wearer.

It is a fairly primitive garment in concept, but windproof and if treated with oil or fat waterproof too.

I imagine that the runners would have had some sort of protection for their feet though.

There is little information about Scottish garments in antiquity other than it was very basic. Most of my books about costume are very snitty about Scotland declaring it hardly worth a mention and then not mentioning it for several centuries or longer.

Anne the Pleater

[Canadian Vet]

That sounds like a Mesolithic garment or perhaps even older and why not?
Our ancient ancestors clearly survived hence we dress in Poly stuff.
They knew what the heck they were doing.