Why Scapa Flow was not another Taranto

Could an operational German aircraft carrier have attempted a Taranto-style strike on Scapa Flow?

It might have attempted one, but radar, alert defences, and the lack of a lasting concentrated target made Scapa Flow a much harder problem.

A German carrier raid was conceivable, but Scapa Flow and the Firth of Forth did not reproduce Taranto's conditions. British bases had radar and heightened defences, especially after U-47 penetrated Scapa Flow and sank Royal Oak. The Royal Navy also avoided leaving a lucrative concentration exposed there for long enough to reward such a strike. Taranto depended on surprise, target density, and a sanctuary mentality as well as possession of carrier aircraft.