odd kilt holes, kilt pockets?

[OC Richard]

A couple guys from a local pipe band brought over their kilts to have me fix something.

The kilts had two slots on the wearer's left, the slot for the strap to go through and a similar slot below it.

The slot used for the strap was around 2 inches below the binding, the extra slot was around 4 inches below the binding.

They didn't know what to make of it and I didn't either. We speculated about a 4 inch rise versus a 2 inch rise.

Whatever their purpose, their Pipe Major (whose kilt doesn't have this slot) says they make the kilts look sloppy when worn (it's a Service Band and the members wear their department shirts without jackets so this area is exposed) and told them to get their kilts repaired.

Later my wife comes home, looks at these things, and says "I think they're little pockets". I think she's right. The slots don't go all the way through the kilts, and I can just fit in a car key-fob and a credit card. They're far too small for a wallet.

Have any of you seen these? Do any of you kiltmakers do these? I can see the point of a pocket for Service Bands that wear the typical pocketless horsehair sporrans, though I think a pocket big enough to hold a wallet, on the front of the under-apron like I've seen, makes more sense.

Whatever the case, my job is to stitch the things shut.