Nine fun facts you never knew about Glasgow's famous Ubiquitous Chip restaurant

An Ashton Lane institution, it was groundbreaking back in 1971, when Ronnie Clydesdale opened it to focus on Scottish seasonal produce, and it has served everyone from students and celebrities to well-heeled westenders and curious tourists ever since.

At its 50th birthday celebrations, a host of current Scottish celebrities, from Still Game’s Sanjeev Kohli and presenter Jennifer Reoch to Game of Thrones actor Kate Dickie and Mogwai frontman Stuart Braithwaite, joined owners Colin Clydesdale (Ronnie’s son) and Carol Wright to show their love and support.

Here are nine things you (probably) didn’t know about The Chip…..

1 Esteemed Scottish writer and artister Alasdair Gray once fell in The Chip’s fish pond. He painted the two stunning murals on the walls of the restaurant. His work, Arcadia, features Chip staff through the years, and some of the regulars (plus Carol and Colin’s son Ruaraidh as a child.) It took Alasdair around 25 years to complete, finishing in 2006.

2 Hollywood A-lister Kelly Macdonald was working in The Chip one summer when a friend handed her a flyer, which read “Do you want to be the next Sharon Stone?”. It was a leaflet announcing an open audition for the film Trainspotting. She got the part, of course, and she remains a fan of her former employer. In an interview with the New York Times in 2012, Kelly said: “You can’t leave Scotland without trying haggis, and a very good place to do that is the Ubiquitous Chip. Their version is with venison.”

3 Famous Glasgow sculptor George Wyllie created the Ubiquitous Chip logo, commissioned by Shona Maciver, founder of Locofoco Design.

4 In 2012, celebrity chef Massimo Capra – Canada’s answer to Jamie Oliver - visited the Chip to film a new TV series called Gourmet Escapes. He teamed up with owner Colin Clydesdale to discover the city’s best culinary offerings and the show, which was broadcast in Canada, was watched by 8.5m viewers.

5 The Chip’s latest piece of wall art, by Jonathon Keats and Scottish Jamaican poet Jeda Pearl, is being revealed gradually, and will only be uncovered fully in 50 years’ time.

6 Legend has it Donald Dewar visited The Chip with the then Nato secretary-general, George Robertson, who ordered, rather extravagantly, the vintage claret. (Donald, Scotland’s first First Minister, stuck to the house wine.)

7 When he was setting up his own restaurant, Amaryllis, at One Devonshire Gardens, TV chef Gordon Ramsay was spotted visiting The Chip a handful of times – undoubtedly doing some research into the secrets of its success…Amaryllis, sadly, was not quite as successful.

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8 Michael Lacey created a mural for The Chip, using past images from all over the west end.

9 According to local legend, Princess Margaret and Mick Jagger visited The Chip on the same day (but not, apparently, together.) Other celebrity fans include Billy Connolly, Keira Knightley and Michael Keaton.